Date:08/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/08/stories/2008090860160400.htm

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Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Penning a different kind of work

Staff Reporter

Sandeep Gupta, a resident of Rikab Gunj, has a passion to carve miniature Ganesh idols on pencil leads

— Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

Minimalist art: A miniature Ganesh idol carved on a pencil lead by Sandeep Gupta.

HYDERABAD: When he holds a pencil and a blade in his nimble hands, people just stay glued to their seats.

For, the outcome leaves everyone amazed and it’s not about his writing skills but about his art. Meet Sandeep Gupta, a resident of Rikab Gunj who has a passion to carve miniature Ganesh idols on pencil leads that can be viewed only after using a magnifying glass.

Ever wondered as to what would be the time taken by him to carve one Ganesh idol on a pencil lead? Hold your breath, just two minutes!

A similar Ganesh idol carved by him on a pencil lead is put on display for general public at the Sri Navyuvak Samiti’s Ganesh pandal near Agarwal Montessori School in Rikab Gunj.

“It started from my childhood. Every year, my family members used to design and make different Ganesh idols using rice grains, pulses, fruits and vegetables. But I always wanted to try something different and started carving Ganesh idols on chalk pieces and pencils leads,” says Mr. Gupta.

But this carving art has not come easy to him. He had to practice exclusively three hours in a day for over three years.

In the process of mastering the art, he also informs that he cut his fingers several times. “After trying several designs on a chalk piece last year, this time I carved an idol on a 0.5 mm width pencil lead. I am planning to register it in the Limca Book of Records as the world’s smallest Ganesh idol carved on a pencil lead,” he says with a tinge of pride.