Idol makers anticipating a good year post pandemic as orders flow in for Viswakarma Puja

Idol makers anticipating a good year post pandemic as orders flow in for Viswakarma Puja.

Ratan Pal, 68, of Pandu is now busy. He has got 150 orders for Vishwakarma Puja, a good number after two years.

Like others, the pandemic had hit the idol makers hard. As the government restricted festivities and puja organisers curved the celebrations, the idol makers went through a period of the immense financial crisis. But 2022 brings in rays of hope.

Pal's business was set up by his father in 1947. Today, even his son is in the same business. This year they have already received about 18 to 19 orders for Durga idols from across Guwahati and even from Nalbari.

"We have sent idols to Shillong as well during our heydays. It costs around Rs. 85,000 to make one Durga idol. There are expenses for making the statues, clothes, jewellery, etc. The idol is made of hay, rope, soil, cane, jute plant, etc. As per Hindu tradition, when the idol of Goddess Durga is prepared, four things are very important. These include mud from the banks of the Ganga, cow dung, cow urine and soil from outside brothels, known as 'Nishiddho Pallis', without which the idol is considered incomplete," Ratan Pal explained.

Pal does not prefer to give any advertisement as he believes that their work is an advertisement in itself.

"People come to us after looking at the quality of their work. The revenue earned in a year is invested to make idols the next year. Otherwise, who will give us a loan? " he said.

The idol makers have no fixed income either. He has not accounted for what is the total revenue generated every year.

Upon being asked they said, “We have no such figure with us, we just do our work. It is a seasonal practice. We just submit to the order given to us. I get 10 to 15 per cent of the income generated”.
He pays a total salary of Rs. 15,000 to the artisans per month.

But the confident old man proudly claims that they are supplying their idols to many places like Fancy Market, Boro Bazaar, Shanti Sabha, Silpukhuri, etc. Last year, the establishment received just 12-13 orders for Durga puja.

Ganesh Pal, 39, of Lachit Nagar is also making idols for Durga Puja and Bishwakarma Puja. He has six artisans to work for him. Ganesh Pal has made as many as 200 Viswakarma statues to sell.

“Nobody has ordered it till now, but we will make it in case some customer buy," he said.

Ganesh Pal earns Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 per for a standard Durga statue.

For all these idol-making artisans, the year 2022 has come as a sigh of relief. Presently, they have no time to spare and talk, as they try to rebuild the livelihood that had been shattered by the pandemic. During the lockdown, these artisan shad resorted to small daily wage jobs to earn a living.

Ratan Pal does not have any demand, whatsoever. But he expects that there should be dedicated centres established by the government if the government wants to improve their condition.
" There are such establishments in Siliguri and North Bengal but not here in Guwahati," he said.

The majority of their income goes into paying rent. Satan referred to one Rudra Pal Samity who is in the process of being set up for the welfare of the idol makers. “Barak valley gives support to clay makers but not Brahmaputra Valley," he added.

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