Wood Carving in Ahmedabad

Morning Heritage Walk in Ahmedabad begins from Swaminarayan temple and
cover the internal lanes and Pols of the old city.

I bring to you some pictures of the beautiful carving from the old city of Ahmedabad.

The Ancestral occupation of the Hindu Suthar community,
the craft of wood carving is practiced in the districts of Patan and Ahmedabad,
although the legacy of exquisite wood carving seen in
the traditional havelis, mansions, is evident in all the districts of Gujarat.

Patan district is renowned for the intricately carved
Bohra haveli or mansions at Siddhpur ;
these structures patterns as well as motifs inspired by European and West Asian decorative elements on the woodwork of the balconies and ceilings.

The wooden architecture of Ahmedabad on the other hand,
acquires its distinctive aesthetic through the use of patterns
borrowed from block printing and textile;
the surface of the house front is minutely carved in floral patterns
that clearly evidence their source of inspiration.

With the changing social fabric of these regions and
the drastic alteration in a means of enhancing the domestic architecture
of the resident communities.

Consequently, the Suthars have diverted their skills towards the ornamentation
of doors, windows, railings, pillars, staircase;
traditional items like rath (chariot), chabutara (pigeon house) and miniature temples for homes.

Tools used in Wood carving :
– Katar : scissors
– Katkhuno : right angle
– Dismiss : screwdriver
– Kanas : files
– Vedhanu : carving tools
– Chopan : tool for silver-coated objects
– Khuniyu : drawing tools
– Chini : carving tools
– Randho : planers
– Chopaan : thick edge tool
– Nakhiyu : tool to carve circular shapes
– Pag : mallets
– Gerilo and Guch : carving tools