Ranchi: After suffering losses for two years, idol makers see no respite this Durga Puja, too

RANCHI: Idol makers, who have been running a loss for two consecutive years because of the Covid-induced ban on festivities, expressed dismay that they would not able to make up the loss in this year’s Durga Puja, too.
With the market and every stakeholder hit by the two-year lockdown, many Puja organisers are not only willing to dig deep into their pockets to order big statues but are bargaining for the price even for normal size idols.
The idol makers said despite the market opening up, they are selling at cheaper rates than what they used to fetch in 2019.
Talking to TOI, Ajay Pal, an idol maker from Lalpur said, “Every year, we used to make extra idols to meet the market demand and orders would begin to arrive four months in advance. However, during the covid years, we suffered a great deal of loss and we were afraid that we would again incur losses if pandal constructions are not permitted this year. Hence, we have not made any idols in advance this year. There is a surge in the demand, but as they came late, we were not in a position to accept more orders. Even if we have taken them, we neither have the working capital nor enough manpower to meet the deadline of the orders.”
Ram Chandra Pal, another idol maker from Tharpakhna, said, “Even though the demand for the idols has increased and several pandals have been set up ahead of the Durga Puja, we will not get a profit as the prices of idols have plummeted by 15% as compared to 2019. It is impossible to make up for two years of losses, but the earnings will aid in our budget for our survival.”
Echoing a similar sentiment, another idol maker from Bandhgari, Rajujana, said, “Although this year, we have the opportunity to earn, it will not be sufficient to cover our losses. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard and people are unwilling to order the idol at the cost that we charge. We are forced to sell the idols at a discounted rate this year.”