Bhubaneswar: Miniature wooden sculptures of some of the wonders of the world such as Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Egypt’s pyramids and Agra’s Taj Mahal are charming their way into the hearts of visitors coming to the state level handicrafts exhibition going on at the Exhibition Ground here.
These miniature sculptures are built by Arun Sahu who hails from Kanteikoli village under Hinjli block of Ganjam district.
Arun was born in a poor carpenter family. During his childhood days, he came to know about some of the most popular tourist destinations from books and newspapers. A desire grew in him to visit those locations ever since. When he grew up, he realised that his dreams of visiting those places are unlikely to be fulfilled owing to their financial condition.
Since he grew up watching his father carving out furniture and other home need articles, he started trying his hand at making some objects. Taking note of Arun’s interest, his father also encouraged him and taught him the art of carpentry. Soon enough, Arun gained mastery in the subject.
Why miniatures? In his reply to this question, Arun said the financial condition of his family forced him to leave his education after Plus II. “I have a weakness in architectural marvels around the world. I had been wishing to visit those locations. But the day when it became clear to me that I could not be able to continue my higher education, I also became sure that visiting those places would be impossible for me. So I decided to make their miniatures,” he added.
Miniatures of Odisha Assembly, Peace Pagoda at Dhauli, India Gate, Gateway of India, Taj Mahal, Eiffel Tower, Pyramid and many others crafted by Arun look like original structures.
“I am going to create a mini parliament house. And very soon it will be complete,” he informed.
I am contemplating to create miniatures of all the Seven Wonders of the World and other world-famous heritage sites and place them all in a museum. Visitors can see them under one roof. My dream, however, will only come true if the government supports me financially. I am sure ‘this yet-to-come-up’ museum would be a major attraction for visitors coming from within or outside the country,” he said.
PNN
