Chipping chisels in Batu have dim but not faded.
In this workshop in Lingipur, on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar, between the 68-year-old mangaraj carved the giant wheel at a fast speed.
He has a dream to pursue.
He wants to redeem the lost time during locking and completes his guruji mission.
Smithesh Mohapatra also pursues the same dream.
He had taken it to complete the mission that his grandfather, a leading sculptor and MP Rajya Sabhunh Mohapatra, had begun before Covid revoked his life in May this year – to build a replica of the Sun Temple in Konark.
He named him Aditya Narayan (another name from Sun) Temple.
Smithesh at the Mohapatra workshop, who died at the age of 78, has compiled ideas in 2013, was hurt by damage to the 13th century Temple for centuries.
Since then, until he gave up on the virus, he acquired 100 hectares of land near Puri, laying the foundation stone and established the Raghunath Mohapatra and craft art that oversaw sculpting work and Aditya Narayan Trust to carry out construction and other work needed.
The replica will be built 30 km from the original sun temple in Konark, between Sakhigopal and Puri, a site chosen by Mohapatra, a Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan Awardee who created a statue of Graystone as high as a six-foot in the Sun Hall in the Middle Hall of Parliament and Rajiv Lochan, Lotus was obeyed by black granite in Rajiv Gandhi Samadhi, VIR Bhumi, in Delhi.
“Koneark Sun Temple is a miracle of architecture but unfortunately, more than 70% of it has been damaged.
My grandfather visualized the magnificent structure and tried to make it back.
I will try to finish it,” said Smithesh, a 23-year-old management graduate and a sculptor.
While working on the project slowed far after broken pandemics, sculptors had made two wheels and side walls.
Replica is being built with sandstone and black granite, the stone used in the original sun temple.
Smithesh, who studied the skills from Raghunath Mohapatra, was still under the surprise to lose his grandfather, his father Josabanto and Uncle Prashant in a range of only 12 days.
He said while they were three pillars of institutions working on the project, he now has a big responsibility on his shoulder.
“The second Konark project is a huge task.
When legend runs, 800 years ago, 1,200 sculptors worked for 12 years to complete the temple.
Even though sophisticated technology, we will need a large number of skilled sculptors,” said Smithesh.
While Mohapatra estimates the cost of building a replica at the RS 300 Crore in 2017, Smithesh said the cost would increase over time.
“There are people all over the world who will advance to contribute.
The temple does not need help from the two centers or state governments,” he added.