Choice

Marble. Except for a few works in wood, most of Pateria’s sculptures were crafted in solid marble rock, for which he is best known. And here he was very particular about his choice of marble – the marble from Makrana.

Makrana, a small town located in Rajasthan, India is regarded as one of the oldest places in the world with marble quarries. The marble from Makrana is known for its whiteness, high quality, color, texture, porosity, solubility & hardness.

Marble from Makrana was dominantly used in the ornamentation of The Taj Mahal, Victoria Memorial – India, Sheikh Zayed Mosque – Abu Dhabi, Moti Masjid – Lahore, New Parliament Building – Kabul, Mazar-e-Quaid – Karachi, Hagia Sofia – Turkey, Potala Palace – Tibet and many more famous monuments.

Not just aesthetically, Makrana Marble is also chemically superior than other marbles of the world. With 98% calcium carbonate and negligible magnesium and iron content, Makrana marble, unlike other marbles, does not oxidize and retains its white color for hundreds of years. Also the coarseness of Makrana marble’s grain which makes it resistant to weathering, which makes it everlasting.

The unique chemical composition and texture of the marble from Makrana beautifully matched with Ramesh’s unique sculpting style. And for these reasons, Makrana marble was the preferred choice for Ramesh Pateria.

For his creations, Ramesh Pateria spent considerable amount of time in the mines of Makrana to find the right kind of marble and made Makrana his second home. He would wait and select his pieces right after the marbles were mined, particularly during the night where the marbles were cut under powerful lights – making the inner lines visible. Such was his dedication.

Makrana marble has not just helped the Taj Mahal and other famous structures stand the test of time but has also helped in preserving Ramesh’s work throughout the years.

Ramesh wanted his sculptures and their beauty to last forever. We should not be surprised with his selection of material, a marble with eternal beauty.