With the Durga Puja round the corner, the artisans in potters’ colonies of Jajpur district and its nearby areas are busy round-the-clock giving final touches to the idols of Ma Durga.
This is the period they eagerly await every year — when they get the opportunity to showcase their talent. However, rising price of raw materials has forced the artisans to increase the price of idols.
“Durga Puja is one of the busiest times of the year for the craftsmen. About 50 families of the village, including men, women and children, contribute their mite to the making of the idols of the gods and goddess during the sundry festival seasons. Some of the craft-persons also do colouring works on the idols. Each puja season, we supply about 600 to 1,000 idols of different sizes to the puja committees and people,” said Rajendra Behera (56), a craftsman.
“These families are gradually giving up their traditional occupation. There were around 140 families engaged in this age old profession. But, gradually, the number has started declining,” said Narayan Behera (60) an artisan of Kumbharapada. “The prices of the raw materials have soared rapidly. The low quality of straws is one of the major problems to make the idols,” said Ajaya Behera, an idol maker of Kumbharapada village.
With a few days to go for the festivals, many odd, half-finished idols wait for the idol maker’s expert touch. This is one place where even the gods have to stand in queue, waiting for human hands to deliver them to a state of completion.
“The artisans here are upbeat that they can soon catch up with the best, thanks to a potentially rich market in many parts of the district and its adjoining areas,” said Jagannath Behera of Kumbharapada, adding that many puja committees had placed order for Ma Durga idols with them.
Some Puja committees placed orders of the images of dancing girls, demons and other images to decorate their puja pandals. With just a few days to go before the festival, the idol makers are working through the night to make sure that they are ready in time for the festival.
larger idol makers often hire artisans who work around the clock to meet their targets. Craftsmen can make up to Rs250 to Rs400 a day depending on their skill and area of expertise, said Manoj Behera an artisan.