Erode:
The largest temple bell in the state, weighing more than 1.5 tonnes, will be ready to ring in two months from the premises of Ugrakaliamman Temple at Thennur near Trichy. The brass bell’s sound will reportedly be heard within a 20km radius. Over two dozen artisans from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur will work with award winning sculptor L Radhakrishnan in Erode city round the clock to get the bell ready by the last week of May.
The wooden mold has already been made and works regarding its replica was completed on Monday. Sculpting of the brass bell will begin on Tuesday. It will be transported to Trichy by the first week of June.
According to Radhakrishnan, the bell will be six feet in length and the estimated cost is more than Rs 20 lakh. “Most temple bells in the state weigh less than a tonne. It has been my long cherished dream to make the state’s largest bell,” says Radhakrishnan, who has made more than 300 huge temple bells so far.
His workplace is located inside Edissia Industrial Estate in Kangayam Bypass and residents are starting to trickle in to view the finished clay model. “Though most temples in Tamil Nadu are located in the Thanjavur-Kumbhakonam belt, the bell manufacturing business has remained in Erode for the last several centuries. However, due to manpower shortage I had to depute artisans from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur,” says Radhakrishnan. Winner of the National Award for the best sculptor in 2002 and Shilpa Guru Award of Union Government in 2007, Radhakrishnan also won Tamil Nadu state award for sculptor in 1979 and 1981.
He won Erode Jaycee’s young person award in 1988 and Rashtriya Nirman Rattan Award in 1999. He had also won Gowri Shankar Stapathiyar Award in 1999 and Tamil Nadu Kalainanmani Award in 2002. “I am very passionate about sculpting temple bells. When the Thennur temple committee approached me with the project, I instantly agreed to do it as they were able to afford the cost,” says Radhakrishnan, who is also making bronze statues of Radha and Krishna for a Coimbatore temple. “More than the job satisfaction and the money in it, what motivates me to keep going is my desire to keep the art of sculpting alive,” he added.
source: http;//www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Coimbatore / by K A Shaji , TNN / April 03rd, 2012
Kumbakonam travels is a pioneer in the travel industry of tamilnadu.The ‘Temple City of India’. We are in the industry for the past few years .We own a fleet of vehicles, which includes all latest model A/c and non A/c cars,bus,indica,indigo,innova,tempo traveler, with dedicated staff and world class services at any time.