The outer skin of the pith is cut and removed. The inner soft white portion of the stem is used to make the art pieces. The carved pieces are assembled together and stuck with adhesive into one piece of art. Blue prints of the design or photos are used as reference to make the miniatures. It takes one day to make small figures whereas10 to 12 days to finish a detailed designed big Ganesha idol. It takes almost a month to finish set of art piece of a place or temple. Some pith works are painted with water colors to make it look colorful and attractive.

Thanjavur pith work is famous for miniature works of Thanjavur temples and idol making. The finished pith work is generally fixed to a wooden base and covered with glass to protect from dust and moisture. This helps to preserve the works for years.

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