A Khajuraho woodcarver with a mission
It is easy to spot Rajendra Singh selling beautiful handicraft items outside the popular Raja Café, right opposite the western group of temples in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. A woodcarver by profession, Singh resides in an old settlement of the city. His house is near the Ghantai Mandir, a Jain temple adorned with pillars. From 9 in the morning till 8 in the evening, Singh sells masks and walking sticks that he has been painstakingly carving from bamboo roots for the past 35 years.
“Bamboo is found in abundance in and around Khajuraho. I have carved several items from bamboo roots, including Ganesha idols,” said Singh. To gather the wood and bamboo roots, Singh and his son, Mahesh, bike to hilly forests about three miles from their house. He also carves items from the wood of Arjun and teak trees. Now Mahesh does most of the wood gathering and helps out with the carving at home, with Singh doing the selling.
They churn out about 25-30 pieces a month. Each piece takes almost two days to finish. Singh leaves them unpainted to retain their natural look. His work can fetch him anywhere from ₹300 (~U.S. $4) for smaller artifacts to up to ₹12,000 (~US $145) for larger, more detailed pieces. While tourists flock to buy his artifacts in Khajuraho, Singh also takes his ware to exhibitions across India.
Preserving the Adivasi ‘Talking Tree‘
Mahesh, woodcarver Rajendra Singh son, hones his carving skills that he learned from his father. (Photo by Deepanwita Gita Niyogi) 
Woodcarver Rajendra Singh sorts through his carving tools. (Photo by Deepanwita Gita Niyogi) 
Besides bamboo roots, Khajuraho woodcarver Rajendra Singh uses Arjun and teak wood for his creations. (Photo by Deepanwita Gita Niyogi) 
Khajuraho woodcarver Rajendra Singh with his ware. (Photo by Deepanwita Gita Niyogi)
Unlike traditional wood carvings in the Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh – that are usually masks to be used as wall decor – Singh’s masks are mostly fashioned from bamboo; the bamboo roots are left intact, resembling human hair. Singh calls his style of carving, “Talking Tree”. He says he trained for two years under a man from the Bhil adivasi tribe, one of India’s oldest documented tribes. Singh met his teacher when he used to collect firewood in the forest.
“At one time there were many adivasis living in and around the Panna National Park, about 30 km from Khajuraho. But after being displaced, many families moved towards Bandhavgarh. Many villages were shifted and resettled elsewhere. The family of my teacher also went elsewhere,” said Singh.
To preserve the knowledge, Singh taught his son Mahesh this unique tribal carving style, who has been carrying on the tradition for 12 years now. “This art is different and no one else does it in Khajuraho,” said Mahesh.
Singh is not adivasi, but he wants to preserve this unique tribal art. He has taught the skill to whoever showed interest in learning.