Ajay Kumar Mandavi

Ajay Kumar Mandavi is a wood carver from a Gond tribal family in Chhattisgarh who has used his craft to help prisoners and people who left Maoist violence start again. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023 in the field of art, from Chhattisgarh ^[1].

Learning by watching

Mandavi was born on 11 October 1967 ^[2]. He had no formal training; he picked up carving by watching his father, and began by making toy boats, wooden playthings and small Ganesh idols beside the river in his village ^[2]. Later he moved on to bigger pieces, including mythological faces and the words of the National Anthem carved in wood ^[2].

Art behind prison walls

His name spread after he was asked to train inmates at Kanker jail ^[2]. The work made there drew national and international notice, and the district jail entered the Golden Book of World Records for the largest wooden rendering of Vande Mataram, made of carved letters and measuring 44 feet by 22 feet ^[2].

He also started the Shanta Art Group, made up largely of people who had broken away from Maoist violence and returned to society through art ^[2]. Alongside this, he has worked on child development and on jobs for young people and women in tribal areas ^[2].

Honours

The Chhattisgarh government honoured his craftsmanship in 2006, and the Limca Book of Records listed his wooden calligraphy in 2007 ^[2]. In 2008 he was honoured by the President of India for his calligraphy and sculpture ^[2]. A Finnish citizens’ platform recognised his method of making bricks from red gravelly soil as an eco-friendly practice in 2009 ^[2].