A wide variety of stone is used for making idols of Hindu gods and
goddesses. Stone idols are worshipped in houses and temples to improve
the aura and to invoke the supernatural powers to bless the natives.
Stone idols are washed with Ganga Jal and abhishek is
performed on them, which transforms a piece of rock into a symbol of God
himself. Soapstone is mainly used for shaping and carving idols. There are many villages in Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh, which are known for carving stone idols and scluptures. The idols are polished with polishing stones also known as battas by women and children of the village. The soft marble rocks surrounding Bhedagat near Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh are also used as an ideal raw material for carving
Basically five types of stones are used for making idols. Among these, Rajouri is the most durable stone. The stone most suitable for making idols is Dingi. A pink and white stone called Sudapaal, found in Bastar is pretty soft and is easily carved into idols.
There are two types of idols carved using stone. One is the tatiya saaj, which has two dimensional relied work and the other is Akshang, which has three-dimensional relief work on idols.
Various types of idol made using stone includes :