Dec 7, 1998
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BAKAVA Thousand Images of God A tiny village by the Narmada sends specially chiselled Shivalingas all over India. By N.K. Singh
So why is Bakava the favoured source of the fiery three-eyed God's symbol? It's because the villagers get their supply of stones from the holy Narmada river. These are no ordinary stones. The locals believe Narmada ka har kankar, sabke sab hein Shankar (even a pebble of the Narmada is Lord Shankar's incarnation). And Bakava has, undoubtedly, turned the belief into reality. The rocks of the Narmada basin around Bakava have a special characteristic; when chiselled, they produce different religiously significant striations on the Shivalinga. There is, for instance, a line that resembles the janeu, the sacred Hindu thread, on the Janeudhari Shivalinga. Or the impression of tilak, the sandalwood paste applied on the forehead, on the Tilakdhari linga. Says Bhanwar Singh, who learnt the art of chipping stones from his father Babulal: "You can't find these Shivalingas anywhere else in the country." This explains why almost the entire village is involved in carving Shivalingas. Sculptors from the boatmen community have been doing it traditionally. Members of other communities, compelled by unemployment, are new entrants. Farmers carve lingas during the off season and housewives after their daily chores. Students do it on returning from school. Making Shivalingas, it would appear, is the village passion. Bakava does not disappoint buyers. Here one finds Shivalingas of all sizes -- from tiny 2-inch ones to mammoth 6-ft ones that take a dozen men to turn over. For the unusually big ones orders are placed in advance. The prices likewise range from a paltry Rs 5 to an impressive Rs 1.5 lakh, depending on the idol's size and the natural marks on it. Among the different categories such as the Sidheshwar, Narmadeshwar, Mankamneshwar and Rudreshwar, the Mankamneshwar is the most sought after one as it is supposed to bring good luck to the worshipper. Chiselling Shivalingas has been carried on from time immemorial. Business picked up after electricity came to the village about 20 years ago and people installed electrical motors to polish the carved Shivalingas. Earlier they were forced to sell the crudely carved idols for a few rupees to traders from Varanasi, who would have them polished by craftsmen there and then sell them for huge profits. "They were robbers," recalls Babulal. "I have sold 3-ft tall Shivalingas for Rs 10." But now the villagers are able to sell the finished and value-added products, thus increasing their income level. Modern production techniques have also opened up employment opportunities for the young villagers. The business of carving never comes to a halt, except for four months during the monsoon when the water level in the Narmada rises, submerging the rocks used for the idols. Mechanisation, however, has brought in its wake other problems like respiratory and chest diseases caused by the flying stone dust. Says Munshilal, a carver: "Asthma and TB are common." Another problem is poor prices, the result of not having a cooperative to sell the lingas. The villagers tried selling their idols in markets in different towns but the shopkeepers wanted credit. "It is better to accept Rs 100 in cash than get Rs 150 after six months," says Munshilal. Ironically, the village that makes lingas of the God of destruction is itself under threat of being submerged by the dam being built for the Maheshwar hydel power project. But Bakava's stone carvers don't appear too concerned about it. After all, Shiva the destroyer is in their hands. |
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It's a familiar sight as you near the
tiny village on the banks of the Narmada in Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh. As your
vehicle trundles along the muddy, tortuous track amid lush green fields, it is stopped at
several places by enquiring villagers. Each time a pair of searching eyes peers in and
asks, "Are you going to Bakava? Do you want a Shivalinga? What size?" Before
long you are in the village of Shivalinga carvers. Bakava sends its specially chiselled
representation of Lord Shiva to temples all over the country -- from Varanasi to
Vaidyanathdham and from Rameshwaram to Rourkela. Says a proud Babulal, 65, who has been
sculpting Shivalingas for over five decades: "You can't do without a Shivalinga from
Bakava if you want to set up a temple, according to the shastras (scriptures)." 
