ARTISANS TOGGLE BETWEEN DESPAIR, DIVINITY

Because there is not much work, our wages have been impacted. We make almost half of a full season’s wage now. BISHWAJIT GHOSH, An artisan

In 2019, me and my team of artisans made close to 40 idols. This time, it has halved. Rate of raw material has nearly doubled. MANIK PAL, An artisan

Bedecked idols of Durga Maa are synonymous with Navratri. But, with pandemic-induced restrictions curbing the grandeur of Pujo, makers of these idols in Delhi are facing a very tough time

siddhi.jain@hindustantimes.com ome autumn and the Capital gets immersed in the hues of Navratri and Durga Puja. But amid Covid-19 restrictions, grand festivities will once again take a backseat, with many Pujo committees going for digital celebrations. And this has brought with it a challenge for Durga idol makers, who come from West Bengal specifically for this season.

CIdol size gone down!

Govind Nath, a senior artisan who makes idols in CR Park’s Kali Mandir, rues, “Till 2019, there used to be 50-60 orders for idols scaling up to as high as 20-22 feet. In 2020, there were about 10 orders for much smaller idols; it is the same this year. We are creating idols no more than four to six feet high.” Costly raw material

“The cost of raw material has almost doubled, since many come directly from Kolkata. If we buy something for ₹50, we spend ₹100 for its transportation,” says a disappointed Nath.

In Chandralok, another popular location in CR Park where idol makers huddle, a distressed Manik Pal mixes painting dyes that he says have doubled in cost: “Paint that used to cost ₹400 sells for ₹600 now. Grass, which is bound together to make the structure of the idol, has doubled from ₹10,000 to ₹20,000.”

Artisans forced to sell cheaper

While the price of raw material has increased, selling price of idols has come down. “An idol which used to be sold between ₹30,000 to 40,000 only fetches ₹15,000 now, but cost of living and working is the same. The situation is quite bleak,” admits Pal. But, dim as the situation may be, the workers are still content about the fact that rituals will be performed, even if subdued. Dhansingh Kumar, selling idols near Gurugram’s MG Road, says: “Despite my wish to make larger-thanlife size idols, I’m trying to sell smaller idols to more people at a reasonable rate.”

Miniature idols to the rescue

Innovating with the changing times, some idol makers have created miniature idols for households. “I have made miniature Durgas now and I have successfully sold many of them.

The benefit of shifting to miniature idols is a larger profit base and lesser use of raw materials,” says Shanti Devi, an idol maker from Gurugram.

Low-key celebrations, smaller pandals for Durga Puja — slated to begin on October 11 — have led to demand for smaller idols that are three to six feet high, on an average

These works of art are created by artisans who come to DelhiNCR from West Bengal every year especially to make these idols, in the hope of earning some livelihood

Durga idol makers in Delhi-NCR say they are struggling for the second year in a row since Covid-19 struck, due to less orders and costlier raw material

Some artisans have found a smarter way and made miniature Durga idols, which they state have been selling successfully

Idols being crafted by the artisans will cater to orders from Pujo committees as well as individual households

In the pre-pandemic days, Durga idols used to go up to 20-22 feet in height!

PHOTOS: DHRUV SETHI/HT