ARTISANS WORKING EXTRA HOURS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF CUSTOMERS

ARTISANS WORKING EXTRA HOURS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF CUSTOMERS

20-OCT-ENG 7

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-----------------------With hardly a day is left for opening of ‘Patt’ on Sunday to mark the Dussehara,  idol makers are working extra hours to meet the demands of customers and also vying to make grand and beautiful and emotional idols of Maa Durga and her prodigies.

They are offering a wide range of choices and are busy giving final touches to the idols of Maa Durga (Goddess of Strength). But the artisans found it difficult to dry up the idols due to sudden dip in temperature, misty weather and high level of humidity have hampered their work flow.

Hundreds of small and large idols are made from scratch at makeshift workshops in different parts of Bhojpur district. They are then sent across the city to various pandals and where Durga Puja is celebrated, Raj Kumar, an artisan at Nawada locality, said. A sexagenarian belongs to a family that has been in the idol making business for generations. He said that he had not learnt anything other than idol making. Something which was once a passion is now his profession. His father and grandfather always told him that idol making was an art that very few were blessed with. They also told him not to care about money.

He said that the art is slowly dying in the area and the new generation is not keen on taking the tradition forward. It is primarily because a lot of hard work is required in the profession and the money is not sufficient.

Another artisan Shushil Sen makes idols during festivals and utensils after that on Maula Bagh. He said that after Puja is over, his work go round the year and sells mud and terracotta utensil. He said that they had started working on the idols in the month of August when rainy season is in full bloom. In normal conditions, it usually takes four days to complete an idol depending on its size and intricacy of craftsmanship but due to rain, high humidity levels and low temperature, it takes almost six to seven days, said he hiding his ‘masterpieces’ under a sunshade to protect them from dew drops.

Colourful idols of Maa Durga and her prodigies are very much in demand and cost Rs. 10000 to Rs 1 lakh depending on size and number of her prodigy. Raj Kumar who has made 125 idols this year so far said that their business was marred due to sky rocketing pries of essential commodities but this year almost all the idols have been booked and he expected to earn about Rs. 1.5 lakh this year.

A number of artisans have put their idols on sale at different points in Bhojpur district. Apart from the traditional mud idols, ones made of Plaster of Paris seeds, straws and other materials are also in demand. They take lesser time to dry and light in weight and can be coloured using a spray painting machine, said Mohan, another artisan adding that they were expecting better business this year. He said that idol making is a seasonal business which depends on the market conditions.