Families keep alive marble work of the Taj Mahal era

Agra: Thousands of Muslim families here are diligently keeping alive the delicate craft of carving on marble that contributed to making the Taj Mahal a global marvel.

The secrets of their work have been handed down from one generation to another ever since Mughal emperor Shah Jahan decided to build the imposing monument in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in the 17th century.

Hundreds of years later, an estimated 7,000 families spread all over Agra are engaged in bringing out marble works of all sizes and shapes and for all purses with eye catching and often very intricate stone carving.

Amazing art

It is an art that never ceases to amaze tourists - Indians and foreigners alike. "The people who work on marble are descendents of those who helped build the Taj," explained Abhinav Jain, one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of marble products here whose products sell heavily in the West.

Jain, 42, should know. A ninth generation member of an Agra family who loves marble as much as he adores the works of Tolstoy and Maxim Gorky, Jain says it's a pleasure to watch his Muslim craftsmen at work.

"Muslims on the whole are completely committed to this art form," Jain said at his plush office a stone's throw away from the outer parameters of the Taj Mahal. "It is 'tapasya' [devotion] for them." Hundreds of marble products get sold all around the Taj every day. Many more are sent out to all parts of India and abroad. Topping the list of favourites are Taj Mahals in countless sizes.

There are boxes of all shapes, chessboards, penholders, floorings, tabletops, coasters, tiles, vases, statues and wall hangings.

While some of the products are simple and easily affordable, many are so finely made that not many can afford them. The craft includes shaping and cutting marble rocks to make the products with floral designs or other patterns.

Concentration

Jain says his craftsmen paint the marble surface with red ochre, then engrave patterns and designs, inlay semi-precious stones and rub the surface with zinc oxide and muslin to give a fine gloss.

Among the semi-precious stones Jain's marble products have are black onyx, carnelian, coral, jasper, lapis lazuli, malachite, moss agate, smoky agate and turquoise. These come in a variety of colours from jet black to bright read as well as deep blue, brownish white, milky blue, coffee brown and parrot green. The products look simple and easy to make. But they are not.

"They involve tremendous concentration, to start with," said Jain. "I am not exaggerating if I say that the kind of work being done in Agra by our Muslim artisans is unmatched in the world, in any country.

"It is intricate work. The slicing of marble, the inlay work, the stone cutting, the correct placement of semi-precious stones, everything demands absolute and total concentration."

So how do the Muslim artisans do it? "First, they learn the craft in childhood. They work on it. And then the art form never leaves the households. Mind you, there is no cataloguing of the craft. It is passed on from one generation to another, through word of mouth.

"The work demands creativity, which the artisans are able to provide. In the process, they are never short of work. There is work 365 days of the year. Even mediocre artisans earn up to Rs150-200 (Dh12.5-16.6) a day. The best ones earn in thousands of rupees."

All this takes place in the shadow of the magnificent Taj Mahal, India's best tourist draw and a creation of a huge mass of craftsmen including those who came from Persia. It has no match anywhere in the world.

No shortage of work

Hundreds of marble products get sold all around the Taj every day. Many more are sent out to all parts of India and abroad.

Topping the list of favourites are Taj Mahals in countless sizes.There are boxes of all shapes, chessboards, penholders, floorings, tabletops, coasters, tiles, vases, statues and wall hangings."The work demands creativity, which the artisans are able to provide. In the process, they are never short of work. There is work 365 days of the year. Even mediocre artisans earn up to Rs150-200 (Dh12.5-16.6) a day. The best ones earn in thousands of rupees."