Stones quarried across the country provide a range of hues and textures to artisans, inspiring them to create vessels, furniture, spiritual icons, buildings, sculptures. Indian craftsmen don't just sculpt stone figures but also carve great masses of rock. As with metalcraft, stoneworkers hold a relatively higher position in the hierarchy of artisans because of the permanence of the material they work with. Stone carvings are seen at their best in a host of 11 th to 14 th century temples: Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh, 11 th century), Konarak (Orissa, 13 th century), Mt Abu (Rajasthan, 12 th century).

Stonework can be seen in:

• Red sandstone heritage monuments of Delhi and Agra
• Divine images in the sanctum sanctorum of temples
• Ornate doorways, bas reliefs and icons of temples
• Lattice screens of marble in the temples and palaces of Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Elaborately carved balconies made of pale pink sandstone in Jaipur
• Grinding stones made of granite
• Chapatti rolling boards and spice bowls made of marble
• Granite stone utensils for storage and cooking in Tamil Nadu
• Agate-like Gorara soapstone of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar , used for religious deities, decorative lamps, candle stands and animal forms