Agartala, Sep 13:
The growing popularity of Ganesh Puja in Tripura in recent years has brought more work and better earnings for traditional idol makers, but rising raw material costs, shortage of skilled artisans and declining interest among the younger generation are raising questions over the future of the age-old craft.
At Nandannagar, on the outskirts of the state capital Agartala, artisans busy making idols ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi said the festival has expanded significantly, creating additional opportunities for those engaged in idol-making.
One veteran artisan, who said he has been associated with the craft for around four decades, recalled that Ganesh Puja was much smaller in scale earlier compared to the present time.
“Ganesh Puja has increased largely,” he said, adding that the rise in the number of celebrations has directly benefited idol makers and other people associated with the traditional craft.
With demand increasing, however, expenditure has also risen sharply. The artisan said his expenditure on idol-making activities had increased from around Rs 3 lakh last year to an estimated Rs 4 lakh this year but prices of idols have not increased significantly as the profit has not risen at that rate.
The rising prices of raw materials are a major concern. He cited the price of shuti (jute fibre), an important material used in idol-making, which he said had increased from around Rs 120 per kg last year to about Rs 270 per kg this year.
“Work is increasing, but expenses are increasing along with it,” he said.
The artisans have also adapted to changing technology. Machines are now being used for several stages of idol-making, including cutting and colouring, reducing physical labour and helping them complete orders more quickly.
“Earlier, much of the work was done by hand. Now machines are being used,” the artisan said.
Despite the technological shift, the availability of skilled workers remains a challenge. The experienced artisans who have traditionally carried the craft are ageing, while younger people are increasingly reluctant to take up the profession.
The artisan said one of his grandchildren was being trained in the craft, but acknowledged that attracting a new generation to idol-making remains difficult.
For the artisans of Nandannagar, the expanding Ganesh Puja market therefore presents a mixed picture — rising demand and income on one hand, and increasing production costs and concerns over the continuity of traditional skills on the other.
