About 350 idol makers who have been making idols of gods and goddess since last forty years for puja occasions are now in distress.
They have not got any order for making Ganesha idol this year, nor are they expecting much of business in the coming Dussehra.
The much awaited Ganesh Chaturthi which was celebrated on August 22 was not celebrated in any public places in Sundargarh district in view of Covid-19 as the district administration had imposed restriction on community celebration. Different puja committees had to stop organising the puja on different pandals.
With the threat of Coronavirus still looming large, there is a question mark on other puja celebrations such as Viswakarma Puja, Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Kali Puja in public places in the coming months.
The Ganesh Puja is celebrated in Sundargarh district every year with pomp and gaiety and particularly in Rourkela, a number of puja pandals are organised in different public places across the city but this year, it was damp squib. In previous years, artisans were not getting time as they were burdened with a huge number of orders for making idols. However, they are now left in sulk.
"Coronavirus has snatched our livelihood. We work seven months in a year and manage our family but due to Covid 19 this year, we did not get oders from Puja Committees," lamented Prakash Sutradhar, an idol maker and a native of West Bengal. Scores of others who make idols also voiced similar concern.