DURGI
STONE CARVINGS - ART & CULTURE 
News: Durgi stone sculptors seek Andhra
Pradesh government's support to revive 'dying art'
What's
in the news?
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Durgi stone carvings art is on the verge
of extinction with a very few families still practising it. 
●      
Even the Geographical Indication tag
seemed to be of little help to the stone art sculptors. 
●      
Dwindling patronage and lack of support
from successive State governments means that the older generation does not want
to pass the skills to the next one.
Durgi
Stone Carvings:
●      
Durgi Stone carvings are specialized stone
carvings carved from soft limestone
called “SuddaRai” in local language and available only in this region.
●      
The stone is whitish grey in colour and
unique to this region.
●      
The stone carvings are available in sizes
ranging from ½ feet to a maximum of 10 feet in height, which are done according
to Shilpa Sastra.
Andhra
Pradesh:
●      
Andhra Pradesh has got a geographical indication (GI) tag for
Durgi Stone Carvings under Sub-section (1) of Section 13 of Geographical
Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Further
Reference - GI Tag