Sculpting has thrived in Mamallapuram over the years, attracting clients from across the globe. The sculptors, who have established studios and workshops in the ancient town, have been using the rich resource (black granite) from the neighbouring Kancheepuram district. However, some of them have started procuring the raw material from the bordering districts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. This shift is attributed to quality concerns and limits imposed on stone quarrying in Kancheepuram. One of the reasons for the curbs, the sculptors say, is the depletion of the resource caused by over-consumption and years of extraction. When the stones at a quarry get used up, it results in the formation of deep pits from which extraction becomes difficult. Moreover, this leads to an increase in the price of stones as the manpower and machinery required go up.
