DEBINA BOSE
As a child, we all loved engraving our names and sketching various motifs on stones and walls of buildings or temples. But have we ever thought of gifting a stone to our loved ones with some message engraved on it? Pravamayee Mohanty, residing at Jagamara, Bhubaneswar displayed a wide array of black stone artefacts sculptured with beautiful designs and motifs at the Adivasi Mela near Unit 1 which concluded Monday.
Pravamayee, a 35 year old home-maker is also a successful entrepreneur. Her hand-made black stone objects is in huge demand among her customers. Practicing the art for more than 15 years she happily recollects how she had come across such a unique idea of turning a stone into a decorative piece. “The idea hit me when I visited Mumbai a long time back and came across a similar form of art. Imprinting motifs on stones has entirely been my creation. It is a unique art and till date my creations have been applauded by all and sundry,” said the entrepreneur.
The black stones are brought from Koraput after which they are painted in stone dust. From images of Gods, modern art to various quotations, Pravamayee personally engraves the designs using a special machine that she bought from Mumbai. “Every single day I devote around two to three hours to shape out a single artefact. The process is strenuous and the designs have to be carefully chiseled,” she informed. To cope with the demand that she receives the lady has employed a group of skilled artisans from Berhampur who help her in speeding up the process.
Pravamayee doesn’t have a shop nor does she boast of her skills to increase sales. But even then business is brisk. She has her set of devoted customers and also gets bulk orders from Bangalore, Mumbai, cities in Kerala and Chennia where her art is equally applauded. “Every two to three months I receive orders from various places where many of my customers send me a sketch of their required design and accordingly I replicate them. Ahead of Valentine’s Day I am bombarded with requests from youngsters to engrave the names of their loved ones on the black stones,” she stated.
Pravamayee also feels that city has given her ample scope to exhibit her creativity. Annual exhibitions and fairs like Baliyatra, Toshali, Sisir Saras and Adivasi Mela keep her busy throughout the year. “I have a dedicated set of customers who also wait for these exhibitions to purchase my designs. Even the admiration among the people on seeing a new art encourages me all the more,” she stated.
The price varies from `30 to `800 and Pravameyee’s creations cater to every occasion. “The price depends on the size and the designs of the black stone. From designs of Ganesh, Buddha, Nataraj and Konark wheel to various quotations I have them all,” she informed. “I am extremely happy with the response I receive from the exhibitions which also gives a good profit margin,” she added.
Pravamayee is also a motivation for other women who aim at exposing their talents to the world and earning accolades. “I am not very literate so instead of sitting at home and depending on my husband’s income, I thought of utilising my talent. I am quite independent now and proudly proclaim myself as a successful entrepreneur,” she asserted.
