Stone Carving with Jaya

Overview

The fine art of stone carving in Nepal goes back over 2,000 years. Amongst those keeping alive this tradition in Nepali sculptor Jaya Raj Bajracharya who has attained world fame and to ensure the stone carving flourishes takes on apprentices from many countries from around the world. Jaya hails from a family of 4th generation stone carvers and first learned the craft at the age of 15. It was only after six years of apprenticeship was he permitted to join the family business, whose works are on display around the country. This tour gives you an opportunity to play apprentice for two hours with one of the country’s first-rate stone carvers and you would do well to enjoy the experience from a master craftsman, whose skills continue to be enhanced by new learnings.

Why you will love it

• A better appreciation of the numerous carving on the walls of the ancient cities of Kathmandu.
• Java has a genuine passion to share his expertise. 
• Learn stone carving from a master craftsman; create your memory of Nepal to take home with you.

What you will experience

For Jaya one of the most favourite pieces, he has created is an eight-foot-high Milarepa statue for a monastery in Manang. On a visit to the USA, he was curious about experimenting with something called an air chisel, though he still prefers using traditional Nepali tools for the finishing. In a more recent move, after being initiated to AutoCAD by a French architect, Jaya learnt to use the software to make 3-D designs of his sculptures on a computer. International exposure has encouraged him to learn new techniques and forms, leading to his interest in making modern sculptures. You will have a session of 120 mins with Jaya who will teach you the basics of stone carving. After finishing the sketch, the carving of the stone begins.   You will later make once piece which can be taken as a souvenir. Jaya is very keen to keep alive the tradition of stone carving and while he takes on many apprentices from abroad as well, he also started teaching his 11-year old daughter the craft, making her the 5th generation stone carver from the time of his great grandfather.