Myanmar Artisans Craft Garuda Vahanams for Ammapalli Temple in Shamshabad

Master craftsmen from Myanmar have carved a pair of intricately sculpted Garuda Vahanams ahead of the upcoming Garudotsavam at the Ammapalli Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Shamshabad. Anuradha Timber International, based in Bowenpally, oversaw the carving process based on traditional mythological texts describing Garuda, the celestial vehicle of Lord Vishnu.

The pair of wooden structures, weighing approximately 400 kilograms, was crafted from two-century-old Myanmar teak wood. Chadalavada Sharath Babu, Managing Partner of Anuradha Timbers, stated that the timber had been procured long ago and stored at their Bowenpally workshop for temple-related woodworking. The firm had previously carved teak doors for the Ayodhya Ram temple.

Before the woodworking began, a team conducted nearly two years of research into Garuda iconography and the 'Garudopakhyanam'. The study included visits to temples in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as the National Museum in Delhi, to examine existing sculptures. Following the research, a 10-page design document was formulated detailing the structural proportions for the crown, face, wings, feathers, legs, and serpents.

Master craftsmen from Myanmar then spent about one and a half years in Hyderabad executing the detailed wood carvings according to the specifications.

The finished iconography features multiple sculpted serpents adorning the figure of Garuda. The design includes serpent Shankachuda wrapping around the hair like a tiara, serpent kings Padma and Mahapadma as earrings, serpent Karkotaka around the neck as a necklace, serpent king Vasuki as a sacred thread across the torso, multi-hooded cobra Takshaka as a waist belt, and serpents Adishesha and Gulika binding the left and right wrists.