House Of Hobbies - 7 -- Nilima Moon: Carved creations

Crazy and creative, passionate and positive, influential and introverted, happy and hopeful – the hobbyists find their pleasure within. They select and collect; craft and create; preserve and protect, and enjoy in their own mysterious world. ‘House of Hobbies’ was my effort to peep into the world of hobbyists in Nagpur. This series was published in The Hitavada in September-October 2010. Take a look...

Nilima Moon: Carved creations

(Nilima Moon with her son Dakshesh)

ALMOST all bright students get chalk-sticks as token of appreciation from teachers, but very few of them can see the pillars of the Royal Palace hidden in these fragile stalks. As a class-monitor in Dharampeth Girls’ High School, Nilima Hazare (now Nilima Moon) used carve pillars in the chalks. The habit of searching for ‘art’ in mundane ‘articles’ was born right there. Lucky girl, she was noticed by Sudhakar Phatak, her teacher, and city’s well-known soap-carving artist.


“Phatak sir asked me to switch over to soap-carving as chalks cannot be preserved for more than a few days,” said Nilima, a student who has made her teacher proud by creating masterpieces from soap.

A simple bath soap, when she starts carving, turns itself into various forms of Lord Ganesha, or a mother loving her child, or Bhagwan Buddha in deep meditation, or SRK in his typical pose, or just anything that Nilima wishes. “All I need is a carving fork, specially designed by Phatak sir,” Nilima humbly says. However, the cutter is only a gadget. It needs hours of concentration, dedication and skill to carve a delicate small-sized soap.

“My brother, Sachin used to bring large sized washing bars for me. He encouraged me a lot,” says Nilima, who became a popular as soap-carver, right in her college days. She participated in several exhibitions. “Once I had made a Ganesh idol from soap particles left after carving. Since then, nothing goes in waste,” Nilima points out showing a colourful Lord Ganesh idol.

“After exhibitions, Girls, astonished by the art, used to approach me for classes, so I tried to teach it to many. But, the complicated job bored them,” Nilima shares with her signature attractive smile. “No problem. I am okay with it. I am searching for new ways in this art by myself,” she continues.

Recently, Nilima has developed ‘water therapy’ to join two or more soaps together which will expand the platform for carving. “But these days, I find less time for this,” she smiles once again, as her son Dakshesh, who is celebrating first birthday on October 3, crawls into her lap.

“One of my friends told me not to get married if I have to quit soap-carving after that,” she remembers, “But I am lucky. Instead of complaining for over-expenditure, my husband Dheeraj and in-laws feel happy when I purchase a few more number of beauty soaps,” this time she gives smile to her mother-in-law busy with Dakshesh. At her house, situated in crowded lanes of Sadar, Nilima has number of soap arts, covered with cotton, and packed in a plastic box. Every minute detail, facial expressions, and eyes are carved so aptly, that it is very hard to believe that the figures are made of bath soaps. “Why not? The name itself is ‘beauty soap’, so ‘beauty’ can be carved out from it,” Nilima greets with the same attractive smile!