700-year-old teak turned into a sculpture of Vishnu in Hyderabad

The teak trunk from the jungles of Myanmar is now an exposition of Hindu mythology after a six-year effort at Anuradha Timbers International.
| Photo Credit: Serish Nanisetti

A 700-year-old log of teakwood has been turned into a sculpture of Lord Vishnu reclining on a coiled snake by artists from Myanmar and India at the Anuradha Timbers International in Hyderabad. As the artists dust the smoothly sculpted image of Ananta Seshasayana Sri Maha Vishnu for photographs, it marks the fulfillment of a vision that Sarath Babu, the partner of the firm, had six years ago. “When I saw the log of wood, I realised that it is one of the rare pieces and future generations might not be able to see something as magnificent. I didn’t want it to be reduced to doors and windows. I wanted it to be preserved and this is the result,” says Sarath Babu looking at the sculpture which is 21 feet wide and towers over him at 8.5 feet height.

“It took an international effort after we won an international bid for this log to bring it to India. Some of the work was done in Myanmar, but it was completed here,” says Sarath Babu. He got in touch with artist Giridhar Gowd, who is known for his pencil sketches of mythological figures, to execute his vision.

Speaking from his native Vadlamudi village in Guntur district, Mr. Gowd says the sculpture matches the vision of the drawing he executed on 60 inches by 19.5 inches paper. “This was a long piece of wood. I had imagined Dasavataram or Viswaroopam but I chose Ananta Seshasayana Sri Maha Vishnu. I initially thought of 116 figures but reduced it to 84 figures,” says Mr. Gowd about the sculpture that has small details, down to the curved little fingers and nails. The textured clothing of the lower garments on the idol appear filamentous but real. The Hindu mythology surrounding creation, the celestial beings, the navagrahlu (nine planets), the beings in the sky and the netherworld all have a tactile feel about them without the grain or a node of wood being visible. 

“The log of wood was almost suggesting the sculpture that has been created. This tree must have seen hundreds of monsoons in the valleys of Myanmar forest. It had a bump in the middle just like the hip. And we thought the reclining Vishnu would be perfect,” says Tirupathi Rao, the third generation owner of Anuradha Timbers International.

On Saturday, the former Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, will unveil the sculpture which will remain in the premises for one year. “This sculpture is a work of love and a tribute to nature. There is no commercial angle to it and it is not for sale,” says Sarath Babu about the sculpture which is a tribute to craftsmanship and faith.