Indore: Corona fades festive spirit, idol makers left in the lurch

INDORE: State government's ban on organizing Ganeshostav publicly due to Covid-19 menace this year has left idol makers unemployment or almost out of business.
Idol maker in Banganga Vinod Prajapati used to make around 100 Ganesh idols above three feet of height for Ganeshostav but this year, he has not received a single order.
"We have been into making Ganesh and Durga idols from five generations and my only son has also joined us in the family business.In last some years, a ban on making of Plaster of Paris idols had already caused us a huge loss of business but this year, a complete ban on Ganeshostav due to Covid-19 will leave us unemployed for the entire year," he cried.
The idol maker and his son are now looking for an alternative work to earn their livelihood.
A similar situation is before Manish Prajapati, another clay sculpture of the same area, whose family of nine is totally dependent on making and sale of Ganesh and Durga idols.
"We as all members of the family, used to make around 5,000 Ganesh idols for public Ganeshotsav and supply the same mainly in rural parts of Malwa-Nimar region while preparation to make Durga idols also gets started by this time of the year," he said.
Manish Prajapati added that this year, they are not expecting any profit from sale of the idols and are likely to suffer huge loss in form of prepared sculptures.
There are around 3,000 idol makers working in Indore and most of their sculptures are sent out of the city for it's made of POP. In last around five years, demand of Ganesh idols made of POP has decreased as people, mostly locals, ask for idols made of clay
Vijay Nakaswal, president of 'Shree Ganesh Murtikar Association', told TOI, "We do respect state government's efforts to control Covid-19 spread including ban on public Ganesh festivities. However, they should have also considered plea of idol makers and informed us about any such decision in advance to save us from huge loss of raw material and hard work in making idols."
He added that a delegation of their association will soon approach district administration with their plea and will request for a way out.