Durgi Stone Carving
Soft grey stone cut into deities, lamps and lattice by a Palnadu village.
Durgi, a village in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh, is a stone-carving centre working a locally quarried soft stone that is grey-green or white, easy to cut when freshly quarried but hardening on exposure. Craftsmen make images of Hindu deities, temple pillars, brackets and panels, lamps, pierced jaali screens, grinding stones, mortars and decorative objects. The stone's workability lets carvers cut fine detail and openwork that would break in a harder rock.
Craft at a Glance
Origin
Durgi, Andhra Pradesh
Also Known As
Durgi stone craft, Palnadu soft-stone carving
Craft Type
Soft-stone carving
Practising Community
Shilpi (Vishwabrahmin) and Kammari sculptor families of the Palnadu region
Materials
Local soft carving stone — a steatite-like grey-green and a white variety; iron chisels, points and rasps; and abrasive powders and stones for finishing.
Known For
Carved idols, temple pillars and panels, lamps, pierced screens, mortars and utensils in local grey and white stone
Where It's Made
Durgi village and nearby Kolluru in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh; the quarries lie close to the workshops
Time to Create
Days to months, depending on size
GI Status
Durgi Stone Carvings is a registered GI of Andhra Pradesh
Process Steps
Quarrying the block
Blocks of the soft local stone are cut from the quarry beside the village and chosen for size and freedom from flaws.
Blocking out the form
The main shape of the figure or object is knocked out with points and heavy chisels while the stone is still soft.
Carving the detail
Features, jewellery, drapery and ornament are cut with finer chisels before the stone hardens.
Piercing the screens
Where the design calls for openwork, jaali patterns are drilled and cut right through the stone.
Assembling larger works
Pillars and large panels are carved in sections and fitted together.
Smoothing
Surfaces are rubbed with abrasive stones and powders to a fine finish.
Finishing
The piece may be oiled or given a wash to even out the stone's colour.
Technique Glossary
Jaali
A pierced stone lattice screen.
Shilpi / Vishwabrahmin
The hereditary community of sculptors and architects in the Telugu country.
Steatite-type stone
A soft, soapy stone that carves easily and takes fine detail.
Point (pitching tool)
The heavy pointed chisel used to remove waste stone quickly in the first stage of carving.
Rasp
A coarse file used to refine and smooth a carved stone surface.
Deepa stambha
A carved stone lamp-pillar, a common Durgi product for temples and homes.
Case-hardening
The way the soft stone forms a harder skin as it dries and weathers after quarrying.
A Craft Through Time
Pre-modern
Temple stone
Palnadu artisan families carve sculpture and architectural elements for Krishna-valley temples.
19th–20th century
A named village
Durgi becomes identified with a particular soft stone and a concentration of carvers.
20th century
Beyond the temple
Carvers add lamps, screens, mortars and decorative pieces for a wider market.
2018
Geographical Indication
Durgi Stone Carvings are registered as a GI of Andhra Pradesh.
Present
Temple and decor work
The carvers supply new temple sculpture, garden pieces and decorative objects, the quarries still beside the workshops.
Did You Know?
Durgi's stone is deliberately carved soon after quarrying because it is still soft and workable — left to weather, it sets much harder and resists the chisel.
Every craft has a story. Every story begins with tradition.