With Kartika Purnima festival on Monday, many artisans have been manufacturing paper boats in Jajpur and its nearby areas.
This being a seasonal occupation, many artisans are overworking for the last two weeks. They are saddled with a heavy burden of making various types of paper boats to meet the huge demand. “It has now become a family tradition to make paper boats as on the Kartika Purnima, many people will float paper boats to remember our glorious maritime history of the past. It adds income to the family. We cannot afford to neglect it,” said Bijaya Behera of Dharmasala. Bhabani Behera, another artisan, said “This is the time when we earn the most. The average income of each family in the village during this festival is not less than `5,000 to `10,000. Some even earn up to `30,000 by making paper boats.”
Sanatan Behera (76) said, “ I learned the art of paper boat making from my father Balabhadra Behera. We have started making the tiny boats since last month by collecting coloured paper and other materials.”