ISSA India \ Sculptures on the Banks of the River Narmada

The Ekta Shilpa Sculpture Symposium, as well as ISSA India, held from 20th July to 8th August 2024 in Kevadia, 

Gujarat – India, is another testament to the successful completion of the 7th stone sculpture symposium 

organized by SAPTI since June 2022 towards emphasizing Stone Sculpture and Art. 

The Ekta Shilpa Stone Sculpture Symposium was conducted to enhance the cultural identity and aesthetic 

appeal of the site of an important national monument of contemporary India. The sculptures carved during 

the Ekta Shilpa Symposium will be strategically placed in key areas in Kevadia to promote tourism and

 create vibrant communal spaces that reflect the essence, spirit, and values of the Statue of Unity location.

Ekta Shilpa Sculpture Symposium saw the participation of 24 senior, mid-career, and upcoming sculptors from

 across various provinces of India (Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, 

Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Gujarat). Based on 

the outstanding results of earlier symposiums, Ekta Shilpa also produced impressive stone sculptures at 

a monumental scale, rooted in the thematic approach of River Narmada, Water/Nature, and its Conservation, 

Unity, and Essence of India. In its continuous tradition of taking up challenges, SAPTI successfully organized

 the Ekta Shilpa Symposium at the height of the monsoon season. The use of Industrial sheds enabled 

the uninterrupted carving of sculptures. A large body of monumental sculptures was carved during 

this symposium using the Gujarat Stones of Ambaji White Marble, Dhranghadra Sandstone, and 

Yellow Ochre Limestone from Kutch. In the conduct and organization of the Ekta Shilpa Symposium, 

SAPTI was wholeheartedly supported by the management and officials of the Statue of Unity Area 

Development and Tourism Governance Authority, Kevadia, Government of Gujarat.

At the onset, all invited sculptors were conditioned and oriented about the spatial expanse and the cultural

 grain of Kevadia, situated on the banks of river Narmada, through guided tours. This enabled all the sculptors

 to soak in the essence they deemed important for the creation of a sculptural idea. In addition to an array 

of upcoming and midcareer sculptures, the symposium invited prominent senior sculptors of India such 

as Robin David, Srinivas Reddy, Madhukar Wanjari, and Rohini Reddy. Some of the newer and younger faces

 of the symposium included Vishal Rawat, Koyel Bhusan, Suraj Sahoo, and Sunil. The twenty-day event saw 

“the coming together” of diverse thoughts and oeuvres, pulsating in tandem to create marvellous sculptures.

Materials Provider: ISSA India Member Nitin Dutt

Editor: Liu Qin, Song Mingcheng

Translator: Sun Ya’nan

Legal Advisor: Tao Ranting