A 'Chola' masterpiece replica for Rs57 lakh!

A life-size imitation of the classic bronze Saraswati idol from the Chola dynasty is on sale at the Sunderbai Hall near Churchgate. But you had better bring loads of cash if you plan to buy it for your living room. It costs a cool Rs 57 lakh! The original is kept at the Government Museum in Chennai.

It took over two years for 20-odd artisans to make the statue (see picture) from a single piece of metal. The exhibit and several other bronze sculptures are part of an exhibition-cum-sale organised by Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited, popularly known as Poompuhar.

The replicas are quite costly because they have been crafted by hand, Soma Suntharam, an artisan, said. “They are the works of master craftsmen from Swami Mallai village in Tamil Nadu. For families in the village, crafting idols out of South Indian bronze is the only occupation.”

The Saraswati idol, weighing 1.5 tonnes and standing 5.5 feet tall, is the costliest Poompuhar has ever made, he said. “After Delhi, Mumbai is the biggest market for such artefacts,” Suntharam said. The exhibition also has Ganesha idols and Shiv lingams studded with precious stones like ruby, coral, quartz, and  emerald. A 10-inch Shiv lingam (see inset), made of a mystical quartz crystal, Labrodite, which has been imported from Brazil, reflects various bright colours and is priced at Rs17.6 lakh.

The exhibition is on till September 3.