Aligarh’s brass idols of Lakshmi-Ganesh will be worshiped by people across the country. Idols have been delivered or delivering even before Diwali.
There is a huge demand for idols of gods and goddesses in Maharashtra most affected by the pandemic. In September, October and November 2020, the estimated idol business is over 200 crores.
Aligarh, famous for lock-hardware, has an annual turnover of more than Rs 600 crore for artistic sculptures (artware). Hundreds of small and big businesses here are associated with this industry.
Thousands of families depend on this industry. Here Laxmi-Ganesh, Radha-Krishna, Laddu Gopal, Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi Vishnu, Hanuman, Rama Darbar, Gautam Buddha, statues, animals and a variety of artistic sculptures based on tribal and rural life are manufactured.
The business suffered a lot during the pandemic and lockdown but came back on track after the lockdown. The biggest reason for this is Deepawali. A turnover of more than 200 crores is estimated from September and November. There is a huge demand in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, Telangana and other states. The manufacturers here are busy meeting the demand. 80% of the orders have been shipped.
Idol businessman Krishna Kumar Varshney told that they were thinking that this time in Maharashtra, the demand will be low because it is most affected by corona, but the reality is completely opposite. The highest demand is from there.
Mohit Aggarwal, idol businessman said that the idol business is on track due to Deepawali. There is good demand from many states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh. Most of the work is done online.
Dinesh Yadav, idol businessman said that the business is good outside, but not as good as last year in the local showroom. It may be at the last minute that the customer will come to the market.
Idol businessman Krishna Varshney told that the order has been sent to Germany on Sunday. Sea route is taking a long time therefore the idols of the deities were shipped to Germany on Sunday by air. The fare seems to be more than double. Idols are exported from Aligarh to many countries.