A peep into lives of stonecutters

Even though modernisation has entered majority of Indian kitchens with micro wave ovens, mixer grinders and other electrical appliances, the Indian kitchen looks complete only after the installation of a grinding stone.

Many a time, when there are power cuts, these grinding stones come to rescue. Hence, stone cutters who chisel grinding stones are still in demand. However, the lives of these stonecutters is not easy.

There are many families in Paluru village who have taken up stone cutting as their profession since many years. If one visits the Jagiru Bane in this village, they will surely be welcomed with the 'Tak Tak' sound made by hammers and chisels of the stonecutters.

These professionals artistically convert a piece of stone into an attractive smooth grinding stone.

There are around 35 families living in Jagiru Bane. Most of them are daily wage labourers. Only two to three families have taken up stone cutting as their profession.

Stonecutting is not a easy job. One needs strength and patience. One needs to work hard to shape up a grindings stone.

The measurements need to be right before one starts to chisel.

A 12 inch grinding stone costs up to Rs 1,200. The bigger the grinding stone the more it costs.

Devraj, a resident of the village used to chisel grinding stones. However, now he has left that profession. Instead, he sculpts statues for temples as the demand and income is lucrative. 

Devraj sculpts ‘Nagana Kallu,’ entrances, ‘Simha Kallu,’ Panipeeta, Navagrahas. He receives orders from temples to sculpt statues after which he gets to work.

“I get lot of orders from the temples. Hence, I have stopped making grinding stones,” he says. However, his brother Jagadish is still into carving grinding stones.

“It is difficult to get good stones to convert them into grinding stones. There are outsiders who sell grinding stones on road sides.

Hence, the sale is difficult with competition,” he says and adds that the demand for grinding stones has not decreased. It takes three to four days to chisel a grinding stone, he adds.