PATNA: With barely a week left for
Saraswati Puja celebrations, idol makers are putting in extra hours daily to meet the demand of customers. Ever thought how much hard work goes into making the grand, beautiful Saraswati idols?
"Hundreds of small and large idols are created from scratch at makeshift workshops. They are then sent across the city to various pandals and educational institutions where Saraswati Puja is celebrated," Sanjay Kumar, an artisan at Rajapur Pul, said on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old belongs to a family that has been in the business of making idols for generations. He said, "I haven't learned anything other than making idols. Something, which was once a passion, is now my profession... My father and grandfather always told me idol making is an art that few are blessed with. They also told me not to care about money."
Another artisan Manish Shankar (44) makes idols during festivals and utensils after that on Nala Road. "Even when the Puja is over, our work will not end. Chalta rehta hai kaam... We work all year round and sell mud and terracotta utensils," he told this reporter.
Sexagenarian Shiv Shanker Pandit, a Daldali resident, has been in the idol-making profession for years. According to him, "The art is slowly dying and the new generation is not keen on taking the tradition forward. It is primarily because a lot of hard work is required in this profession and the money is not sufficient."
