Stone Engraving is a dying art, says Mohammad Alam
Moh. Alam, 52, having academic qualification of Plus 2, settled in Chandigarh for the last 18 years, from District Bijnor in Uttar Pardesh is earning his livelihood by engraving on stones the ‘Name Plates’ by putting a small table outside the marble and tiles dealers in Sohana.
Married to Kamar Jahan is blessed with two kids studying in7th and 10that his home town – Alfisha and Moh Arslan.
When I happen to visit Sohana – known as village of marble dealers who brought marble in cut pieces of different sizes of various varieties for sale – I met Mohammad Alam who has put his table on the road side with display of few engraved marbles and showed my interest in engraving art.
Carving on stone, granite or marble offers incredible possibilities. Your personal message “written in stone” is a suitable gift for many occasions.
With the advance technology, even detailed photos and graphics are possible with a Trotec laser engraving device, the art of engraving manually is dying. We hardly see any name plate of engraved stone, except in old cities outside the bungalows or in the grave yards. But the real art of engraving is using the skill with the sharp-edged iron rod with a small hammer.
When asked about the future of art, Alam said, it is almost a dead art with the machine technology available where all time skill is required. Showing a plate with spelling mistake, I have to be very conscious while engraving as any mistake in spellings will spoil the whole work done and it has to be engraved on a new stone.
Asking about the charges, he said, art has no price but I am charging Rs.900 per plate and I got a regular order of four-five plates on daily basis and earning around Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000 per month.
Anyone Stone Engraved Plate lover can contact him at his mobile No.94177-70861
