Vishnu Trivikrama (Vamana Incarnation)

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Vishnu's incarnation as Vamana is one of his three incarnations which had their origin in Vedic literature. In Vedic texts Vamana seems to have been a mere transform of Vishnu, a form to which Vishnu resorts when gods pray him for freeing their habitation from demons. Here, with his third stride he covers the Vedas and Vak, that is, all manifest and unmanifest, and known and spoken. However, in Puranas Vamana emerges as a regular incarnation born as Aditi's son by sage Kashypa for recovering gods' lost power and position.

As the myth has is Bali, fourth in the line of Hiranyakashipu and grandson of Prahlad, was the king of demons. His exceptional prowess had given him the name Mahabali - the mighty. Once when battling for taking possession of Ambrosia, the nectar, obtained from churning of ocean, Indra beheaded him with his disc. However, his demon-followers picked up his body and carried it to nether world where Shukracharya, demons' teacher, revived him to life. Now he devoted himself to further penance and acquired such powers as would defeat gods.

With renewed vigour and powers he not only defeated gods, destroyed their power and position but also evicted them of their habitation. Indra's mother Aditi, sage Kashyapa's wife, heard all about it which filled her with grief. When Kashyapa knew the reason of her sadness, he advised her to observe a particular fast which would please Vishnu who alone could restore to gods their position and power. Aditi did as Kashyapa advised her. Pleased by her fast, Vishnu appeared before her and as she desired he took birth as her son. He was born in dwarfish form and was named Vamana.

At that time Mahabali was celebrating the occasion of his conquest over the world at Narmada's banks by performing sacrifice. In the gathering were a large number of hermits and Brahmins. Vamana also joined them. When his turn came, he prayed Mahabali to grant him a piece of land measuring three strides as alms. Mahabali's teacher Shukracharya warned him against granting the request but Mahabali paid no heed and granted it. He asked Vamana to measure it.

Vamana expanded his body to such size that in two steps he covered the entire earth, heaven, and Patala, and asked the demon king for the space to put his third. Mahabali, true to his words, presented his head and asked Vamana to put it there. Vishnu placed his foot on his head and pushed him into the Patala and thus, gods' position and power were restored. Vishnu in this form has been designated in Puranas as Vishnu-kranta, Tri-Vikram or Vikranta, a form widely represented also in early sculptures.

Sculpting Serenity: Unveiling the Art of Crafting Wood Statues

Wood has been a preferred material for sculptures and statues since ancient times. It is easy to work with than most metals and stones and therefore requires less effort to shape it into any desired shape or form. The texture of the wood gives an element of realism to the sculpture. The selection of an appropriate wood type is necessary for carving. Woods that are too resinous or coniferous are not considered good for carving as their fiber is very soft and thus lacks strength. On the other hand, wood such as Mahogany, Oakwood, Walnut wood, Weet cherry wood, etc., are preferred by sculptors because their fiber is harder. A wood sculptor uses various tools such as a pointed chisel in one hand and a mallet in another to bring the wood to the desired measurement and to make intricate details on it. A carving knife is used to cut and smooth the wood. Other tools such as the gouge, V-tool, and coping saw also serve as important tools in wood carving. Although the wood carving technique is not as complex and tough as stone carving or metal sculpting, nonetheless, a wood carver requires a high level of skills and expertise to create a stunning sculpture.

1. Selecting the right wood

The process of wood carving begins with selecting a chunk of wood that is required according to the type and shape of the statue to be created by the sculptor. Both hardwoods and softwoods are used for making artistic pieces, however, hardwoods are preferred more than softer woods because of their durability and longevity. But if heavy detailing is to be done on the statue, wood with fine grain would be needed as it would be difficult to work with hardwood.

2. Shaping the wood

Once the wood type is selected, the wood carver begins the general shaping process using gouges of various sizes. A gouge is a tool having a curved cutting edge which is useful in removing large unwanted portions of wood easily without splitting the wood. The sculptor always carves the wood across the grain of the wood and not against it.

3. Adding detailing

When a refined shape of the statue is obtained, it is time for making details on the statue using different tools. This is achieved by using tools such as a veiner to make and a V-tool to create decorative and sharp cuts.

4. Surface finishing

Once finer details have been added, the sculptor is ready to smoothen the surface and give it a perfect finish. Tools such as rasps and rifflers are used to get a smooth surface. The finer polishing is obtained by rubbing the surface with sandpaper. If a textured surface is required, this step is skipped. Finally, to protect the statue from excessive dirt accumulation, the sculptor applies natural oils such as walnut or linseed oil all over it. This also brings a natural sheen to the statue.