Mahavishnu marvel: The epic journey of a magnificent sculpture

It took 70,000 man-hours of work; a team with scores of sculptors, designers, engineers, technicians, and support staff; a prolonged three-year period; study-visits to temples across south India; crossing of many technical and logistical hurdles; and, of course, much money! However, one look at the magnificent Mahavishnu sculpture, and all the time, toil, and ideation that went into creating this art piece all seem worth it. Located at Anuradha Timbers International’s office in Secunderabad, Telangana, this ekandi sculpture of Ananthaseshashayana Shri Mahavishnumurthy, i.e., the reclining Vishnu, is receiving a steady stream of visitors ever since it was thrown open to the public. The artwork, which includes about 84 large and small sculptures, was unveiled by the former vice-president of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, on 1 July 2023. This sculpture is made from a single, unitary piece of teakwood estimated to be between 1,000 to 1,500 years old (the annual rings around the log testify to this age). With a weight of approximately 3.5 tonnes, the sculpture is 21 feet in length, 8.6 feet in height, and 20 feet in girth. The material is Burma teak—the world’s largest tree. The central figure of Mahavishnu, his two spouses, Bhoodevi and Sridevi, and Adisheshu, the celestial serpent on which he reclines, are all carved to amazing perfection. Closing my eyes and running my hands (as recommended) over the hands and feet of Vishnu and the faces of his wives, I sense the exquisite detailing that makes for a lifelike, tactile feel of the skin surface, the jewellry that embellishes them, the curve of the fingers, and even their nails! It is all completely smooth, with not a single grain or node of wood being visible. Even the clothes are so finely and delicately textured—they seem filamentous. There is more to the sculpture, with around 84 sculptures, including 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, two Ashwini deities, seven Maruths, Saptharishis, Hanuman, Navagrahas, Ashtadikpalakas, Brahma, Saraswati, Gandharvas, Kinneras, etc. Overhead is a banner containing the inspiration, a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11, Shloka 6. Behind and beyond all these statistics is a story that is a tribute to faith, craftsmanship, and dedication to a spiritual vision. The visionary is Chadalavada Sharath Babu, managing partner at Anuradha Timbers International, which conducts business with over 40 countries. The company is led by his father, Chadalavada Thirupathi Rao, whose support for this project was complete and unequivocal. The company’s past projects include executing the woodwork at the Parliament library building, Thalacauvery temple in Karnataka, the renovated Yadadri Shri Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Telangana, ashrams of spiritual leaders, churches, luxury yachts used by billionaires and royalty like the Emirs of Gulf countries, Saudi Arabian kings, King of Spain, etc. Currently, the company is executing the woodwork, including the doors of the sanctum-sanctorum, of the upcoming Shri Rama Janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya, including the doors of the sanctum-sanctorum. Speaking of this artwork, Sharath Babu spreads his hands and says philosophically: “It is all destiny! I am so overwhelmed by the response! I was just doing business as usual. In between, I just began to envisage this sculpture with one of my purchased logs merely to create a thing of beauty and an offering to God. I had no other aspirations or ambitions. The project took on its momentum. And now, so many people from India and different parts of the world, from commoners to VIPs, art curators, and connoisseurs are viewing and appreciating it.” In a spiritual tone, he adds: “In a way, I believe that Mahavishnu was already inside that log. We merely chipped off the upper layers, and he revealed himself! He feels that he and his team just aided in the manifestation! He narrates how it happened. “As a regular sourcing process, we hunt for the best Burma-teak logs for our clients. In 2017, my brother Chadalavada Rajesh identified an enormous log lying in one of Myanmar’s timber depots. Thrilled, he sent me a photo of him standing beside it! The log was put up for auction by the Myanmar government. We won the bid against 30 countries, paying a record rate because it was a highly prized item. A certain regular customer bought it from us, and we kept it in reserve for him at our Yangon facility. Then Covid happened, and the customer said, ‘if you have a better purpose for this, use it.’ We took it back.” [caption id=“attachment_13134542” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Magnificent Mahavishnu. Image Aruna Chandaraju[/caption] Sharath Babu now had a dream for the log, which was slowly crystallized. A sculpture of some kind was what he envisioned. He was determined not to cut this enormous, centuries-old log into small sections and make it into doors, windows, panels, etc. “I realised its great value. I wanted to preserve this extraordinary log for future generations. I would have loved to bring it back to India in this form. However, this was impossible since Myanmar doesn’t allow log forms to be exported. This would entail cutting it, but I didn’t want to. So, I resolved to convert this massive piece into a sculpture.” The fact that this variety of Myanmar wooden log has no sap, possesses natural oil, and has very low moisture content also made this dream a practical possibility. Sharath’s brother Kiran too was happy to extend all his cooperation. A friend recommended artist Rayana Giridhara Gowd, based in Garuvupalem village, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. Gowd sent four designs: Gajendra Moksham, a futuristic female figure, and two versions of the Ananthaseshashayana Sri Mahavishnu. After much brainstorming, Sharath Babu and Gowd chose the last. Gowd explains: “We decided thus because Sharath sir and his father Thirupathi Rao sir were absolutely adamant that the log remain unbroken and the shape unchanged as far as possible; secondly, the log shape was amenable to a reclining figure; and finally, the central area was such that it could easily be shaped into a hip.” Valuable inputs were also taken from Sthapathi Kumaraswamy and other such professionals, as well as Vedic pandits. Sharath Babu approached the Myanmar government for permission to convert the log into a sculpture. This took over one year. Now, sculptors had to fly from Mahabalipuram in India to Myanmar. However, unfavorable conditions prevented travel to Myanmar. “So, we located a small village of award-winning sculptors in Myanmar. It was a big risk! However, we briefed these talented sculptors, installed CCTV cameras and two-way communication facilities to constantly guide them from India. For example, we sent life-size images via computer to our Myanmar staff who printed and gave them to these rural sculptors. For one and a half years, we monitored and supervised everything online! Once, 40 percent was completed, we moved it to India.” Meanwhile, sculptor Gowd and other team-members had visited several heritage sites like Mahabalipuram, Hampi, and especially Ramappa temple in Warangal for study tours. The remaining 60 percent was completed in India. It was indeed a very tough job. A log is a living material and requires thoughtful and extremely delicate handling when sculpting. Says Gowd: “I incorporated as many traditional elements as possible and often changed design ideas given how the log was shaping up. The whole team gave their best. Today, after years of hard work, we feel a great sense of fulfillment.” Encouraged by this success, the company has begun work on a large sculpture of Shri Rama Pariwaar. When asked ‘what’s next’ with this Mahavishnu sculpture, Sharath Babu says: “It was not made for commercial purposes. Let God himself decide where he wants to settle finally.” We say amen to that. The writer is a journalist, photographer, translator and author of Forgotten Composers. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.