Idle days of idol makers

An artisan gives final touches to a Durga idol, giving it an impressive look, at Hallpara Durgabari mandap in Thakurgaon town on the eve of the Durga Puja a few days ago. PHOTO: STAR

Idol makers, who play an indispensible role in religious festivals of the Hindus, especially pujas, are relegated to the backyard as soon as the celebrations are over.

With an average yearly earning of around Tk 1 lakh from the seasonal work, the artisans struggle to maintain their families as they virtually remain jobless the rest of the year, said several idol-makers. 

“Our religious festivals get fulfillment with the work of the idol-makers, but we do not recognise their contribution properly,” said Tapan Kumar Ghosh, general secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad's district unit. 

Prosenjeet Roy, an artisan of Deogaon village in Sadar upazila, said he made a statue of Goddess Durga for Tk 35,000 for Hallpara Durgabari Mandap in the town, but there was very little profit due to price hike of materials and high labour cost. 

He and his younger brother Prokash Roy, 32, also made four other idols in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh for Tk 30,000 to Tk 40,000 each, Prosenjeet said, adding that it normally takes four people 10 to 12 days to make an idol of Goddess Durga.

After Durga puja, which ended on Saturday, they will supply idols of Goddesses Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati for observance of their upcoming pujas.

On average, they earn around Tk 1 lakh a year, which is too scanty to maintain their families as they basically remain jobless the rest of the year, the brothers said. 

Ananda Roy, another artisan, said, “I learnt how to make idols from my father. Once our earning enabled us to lead somewhat decent life but it is hard to maintain the family nowadays due to price hike of essentials. I do not want my two sons to join our ancestral profession.”   

An idol maker's profession is a seasonal one. Durga Puja is at the centre of a cluster of religious events on the almanac -- Viswakarma, Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati are the other deities whose idols are made in this season for pujas that span from September to January.

“After making idols for four months, many idol-makers have to work as day labourers or farm workers for earning their livelihood for the rest of the year. It is hard for the artisans to accept such work as their aptitude and training are different,” Ananda said.

About twenty families in their village depend on their ancestral profession, but they are gradually losing interest due to the poor return, he added.    

Artisan Atul Chandra Roy, 55, of Pachpir village in Boda upazila of Panchagarh, said his two sons are studying in college but he cannot meet their expenses due to poor income.

“We cannot afford good treatment if anybody of the family becomes ill,” he added. 

The discouraging factors are high prices of raw materials, rising wages of workers and lack of work for over eight to nine months every year.  

Each rickshaw-van of clay used for making idols costs Tk 500 this season, while it was Tk 300 last year. One bamboo costs Tk 300, while it was Tk 200 last year, and a set of ornaments for idols costs Tk 2,500, although it was only Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,500 last year, artisans said.

Puja organisers are not willing to pay more for making idols, although the price of raw materials has gone up by about 30 to 40 percent, they said.

Around 100 families of Thakurgaon and 50 families of Panchagarh are earning their livelihood through their ancestral profession of making idols.