User:R.Harindraraj/sandbox

Sri. K. SANKARAN ACHARY (1896-1975) Sri.K. Sankaran Achary was born in the year 1896 in the small village of Pooyappally in Kottarakara Taluk in a family of Traditional carvers and artisans. His father, late Sri. Krishnan Achary was an expert architect in the construction of the Kerala style house and Temples on the basis of Thatch Shasta; he was also a good designer of wood carving.

Sri Sankaran Achary, after his primary education obtained training in carving from his father. From the very early age he was quick to understand the principle and techniques of carving. From the age of 15 he did carving independently. His main activities were designing and construction of houses in the indigenous style and temple in traditional style. Later he carved icons in wood, based on the themes in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The specialty of his method is that the dolls he carved were of moving character by mechanical adjustment so as to play different stories, more or less in the modern form of ‘Pava-koothu’. This sorts of play-sets were taken to the local festivals and Fairs for show, which were acclaimed as life-like by the audience and the public at large. Another main work done by him was statue of the then Maharaja in the pose of reading Ramayana, giving movement of the eyes, and head turning the pages by hand etc.

Some of the temple constructed and/or renovated by him are Sree Krishna Swamy Temple at Nelliparambu, Siva Temple at Veliyam, Maha Ganapathi Temple at Kottarakara, Parthasarathi temple at Adoor, Kulasekharapuram Siva Temple etc. Besides his carving of dolls of various deities in the Mahabharata and Ramayana are adorning the canopy of many temples. Inventions of indigenous machines for local uses were also among his activities. The machines operated by hand for the cutting of oil seeds, grinding of tapioca for extracting starch, were widely appreciated. Another attempt was also made some 70 years ago for the construction of an aeroplane, making use of the helium produced from jute. He was able to raise the plane to a height above fifty feet from the ground. He was forced to drop the attempt due to financial difficulties. Side by side the above activities he had imparted training to a number of artisans and sculptors. Above all he was an active social worker and a well wisher for the education of the younger generation.