With just about a few weeks for Navarathri celebrations to begin, artisans in the district have started displaying kolu dolls.
At Poompuhar, the kolu doll sales began on Monday and will be on till October 7. Ten artisans from different parts of the country have displayed dolls at the outlet.
According to R. Narendra Bose, manager of the Coimbatore outlet, dolls and Navarathri related products worth more than ₹ 40 lakh are on display.
This includes dolls made of paper mache, clay, wood, fibre, marble dust, and paper filling art works.
Sales
There are some sets in glass that can be return gifts. “Last year, we did a sales of ₹35 lakh and this year we expect it to be ₹ 50 lakh,” he said.
One artisan from Coimbatore has made clay sculpture of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa too.
This year’s attractions include Koniamman temple set, wooden toys, and herbal conch.
However, the costs are slightly up because of GST, he said.
Saravana Kumar, an artisan at Selvapuram who puts up an outlet for Navarathri, said the demand is more for doll sets rather than individual pieces.
The sales during the last four days have been good, he said.
“I get dolls from West Bengal too every year for sales here. But, I have reduced the volume this year as the damages are more during transport,” he said.
Further, the price of raw materials such as paints has gone up because of GST, he added.