Temple Singhasan in Solid Teak with Carved Arch and Lion Arms

The fluted half-round behind the seat looks like the simplest carving on the whole piece. It is the one that catches people out.

The flutes radiate from a single point at the base, which means they cannot be spaced by measuring along the outer edge. Space them equally by distance and they crowd at the centre and splay at the rim, and the whole fan reads as lopsided even though every gap at the edge is identical. They have to be set out by angle instead - the arc divided into equal degrees from the centre, and each flute marked on that line.

Then the cutting. Every flute is narrow at the centre and wide at the rim, so a single gouge held at one depth would leave a hollow that is deep and dark at the middle and shallow and pale at the outside. The eye reads that as the fan tilting away. So the carver deepens each flute progressively towards the rim, keeping the proportion of depth to width constant along its length.

Do both of those and the fan sits flat and even, throwing the same shadow at every point. Do neither and it looks like a fan of flutes. The difference is entirely in the setting out.

Frame: solid teak throughout, hand-carved and hand-turned by master Indian artisans, with traditional joinery at every junction.

Crest: carved arch with facing birds and a central motif.

Sunburst: fluted half-round set behind the seat below the crest.

Finials: turned finials on carved blocks at both back corners.

Arms: resting lions carved in the round, with carved side panels behind them.

Seat: wide open solid teak platform.

Apron: carved foliate panels across the front and both sides.

Legs: carved cabriole legs finishing in paw feet.

Finish: light natural teak hand polish as photographed. Darker tones can be matched, and gilded or coloured highlights can be added.

Cushion: none as photographed. A fitted cushion in any fabric can be made for the seat.

Size: custom sizes made to order - final measurements confirmed in writing before production.

Photography: images on this page are of the actual product, not renders.

Packing works from the highest and most exposed parts inward: the turned finials, the arched crest, the lions' heads and paws, and the paw feet below.

Each of those gets a shaped foam collar. The fluted sunburst is covered with a smooth soft layer laid flat across its whole face - not folded, because a crease pressed into a fluted surface for days in transit can leave a mark on a light polish. The apron panels get a continuous foam strip on all three carved sides so pressure is spread rather than concentrated between elements.

Corrugated panels then build a rigid shell around the whole piece, with the base blocked and braced so the weight rests on the legs and apron rather than on the crest. The outer carton is edge-reinforced so any stacked weight in transit is carried by the packaging. It all lifts off by hand, layer by layer, with no blades needed anywhere near the carving.

Free PAN-India delivery is included in the price - no zone rates, no distance surcharge, no separate freight line at checkout. The same cost delivered to Salem as to Shimla.

Dent-free arrival is guaranteed. The piece leaves in multi-layer protective packaging, travels with handlers briefed on carved and turned work, and is checked at each transfer point. If anything is not right when you open it, tell us and we make it right - the guarantee is ours, not the transporter's.

Because it is carved to order, production begins once your size, finish and carving details are confirmed in writing. If the singhasan is being made around a particular murti, send its measurements at enquiry so the seat and crest are set correctly. We give a realistic timeline in writing, keep you updated as the work progresses, and send a dispatch note with an expected delivery window.

The solid teak frame and joinery are covered for 20 years - the legs and apron, the seat platform, the lion arms, the side panels, the corner posts and the arched crest above them. If a joint opens or a member fails inside those twenty years, we repair or replace it.

A lifetime warranty against termite damage runs alongside it with no expiry. Teak's natural oils are what keep termites away, and our seasoning and finishing routine is built around preserving them, so the timber is guaranteed for as long as the piece is yours.

Pieces of this kind tend to stay in a family across generations rather than being replaced, and the warranty is written to suit that. It holds because the singhasan is made from start to finish in our own workshop by the master Indian artisans who build everything we sell, from timber we season ourselves. Registration is automatic with your order, and your order number is enough to raise a claim at any time.