No glimmer of hope for pandal makers
Hit by last year's Easter attacks, now by COVID-19 and mounting debts they urge the Govt. to intervene to enable them to obtain low interest loan to finance their business
N.G. Karunathilaka (37) from Hasalaka has been making pandals for the past 18 years. Pandal-making for him has been a family business. He grew up in Moratuwa and learned the trade from his father. “Pandal-making for me is not just a profession. It is an art form. Not everyone can do it. But given what has befallen us over the past two years, I may have no choice but to give it up,” he told the Sunday Times.
The past two years have been disastrous for pandal-makers. The situation that prevailed in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks last year meant that they were prevented from displaying most pandals during Vesak owing to security considerations.
The total cost of a large pandal usually varies between Rs 1 million to Rs 1.5 million. The largest pandal can cost up to Rs 2 million. “The client only gives us a small percentage of the agreed price of the pandal when we start out. The full amount is given only after the display of the pandal is finished. As such, we finance the construction with our own money, in many cases taking out loans to do so. This has not been a problem for us over the years as we know that we will get the money in the end,” Mr Karunathilaka explained.
That situation has changed-- first after the Easter attacks last year and now due to the COVID19 pandemic, with clients cancelling the orders. “Orders for pandals come in during the beginning of December and we start construction by the end of December or beginning of January. We finish most of the work by March, so we were left with nowhere to turn to when the cancellations came.”
Mr Karunathilaka said he has between 10-15 persons involved in the construction of a pandal over 2-3 months. These include those who perform manual labour, technicians who wire the bulbs, the artist who paints the frames and those involved in voice recordings that tell the story depicted in the pandal. He displays about four pandals around the country during Vesak. This year, he had worked on two brand new pandals. A pandal to be displayed in Beliatta, begun in December, is completely finished. A pandal for display in Mahaoya was 80-90% complete when he stopped work due to the outbreak.
With banks not giving loans to pandal- makers, they have to turn to money lenders, who provide loans for as much as 10% interest. The debts have been mounting since last year. “If only the banks can grant us a loan. We don’t have to turn to money lenders then,” Mr Karunathilaka remarked.
Pandal-makers note they have to rely on three months - Vesak, Poson and Esela for business. Most pandals are shown during
Vesak, followed by Poson and Esela. Last year, there were some pandals during Poson and Esela, but they were not enough for them to settle their loans, which carried onto this year, Mr Ka run at hil aka pointed out. The situation has only got worse due to COVID-19.
Many pandal- makers are now facing ruin. Mr Karunathilaka said he knows one pandal- maker who had pawned the deed to his house and is now in danger of being evicted along with his family. He has three children of his own and worries about his family’s future. “There is not a piece of jewelry in our house that I haven’t pawned to finance this business. I don’t know how we will survive.”
Wolvin Karunaratne (57) from Kottawa has been involved in the pandal-making business for 40 years and claims to be the most experienced pandal-maker in the country. He too, had started out helping his father build pandals. “The past two years have been a death blow for us,” he told the Sunday Times.
He accused authorities of turning a blind eye to the plight of pandal-makers. “After the Easter attack, then Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera promised to provide us with a Rs 500, 000 low interest loan, but all they did was direct us from one place to the next. Nothing came out of it. In any other country, the authorities would strive to protect a unique art form such as this, but not here.”
Up until last year, pandal-makers did not have an association to represent them as they had no need of one. Due to the difficulties faced in the aftermath of the terror attacks, about 50 of them got together and formed the All- Island Pandal Makers’ Association. Susantha Piyal Jayakody, the association’s current President, said many pandal-makers were severely in debt. “We were hoping to settle debts from last year through displays this year, but it looks as if this year will be worse than the last.”
Mr Jayakody said their request is for the Government to intervene to enable them to obtain a low interest loan to finance their business. The association intends to write to the Government in the next few days noting the difficulties they face and outlining their proposals.