Living to his passion – 66-year-old Farmer shares a creative passion for wood carving

Jharsuguda: For a 66-year-old wooden craftsman of Lakhanpur Block in Jharsuguda woodcarving began as a deeply rooted dream. He admired the craft throughout his childhood but have been working as a farmer, while carving out a few hours to experiment with his creative hobby of wood carving.

The 66-year-old Purna Chandra Pradhan, of Pradhan Dera of Jamgaon Village under Lakhanpur Block has been creating beautiful arts from the wood. He has carved many sculptures including Mahatma Gandhi, Goddess Maa Ramchandi, along with various animals like Parrot, Tiger and many other sculptures made up of woods.

He has five children including two sons and three daughters. All the daughters have been married and both sons help him in farming.

Purna Chandra Pradhan said “I have been doing this since my childhood and I am very interested in this art, as one day everyone has to go away from this world but leaving behind my art would remind everyone that someone with this art use to live here. If the government extends some supports to me then I can train interested youth who can learn and take this art forward and keep it alive. No one else makes this type of wooden art toys in nearby areas as per my knowledge. I make this with Teak wood.”

If I am disturbed for some reason I usually take my tool and start carving out some sculpture. it reduces my tension as I get involved in this so much that I don’t even know the time. 
For carving out one idol it takes around two to three days and the wood used into this is a shortage.

He adds, In Karnataka, Channapatna, near Mysore, is famous for the wooden crafts and has been promoted by the state government and similarly if this art is promoted by the Odisha the state government then it may generate lots of jobs for the villagers who are interested in these types of art.  

A Villager, Padmalochan Pradhan of Pradhandera Jamgaon Gram under Lakhanpur Block, ” I have been seeing him always creating beautiful wooden arts, the art which has been limited inside our village, if the government promotes then even our village people would take this to market so that it will make our village and our district name in handicraft field. ”