Despite the clamour for environment friendly Ganesh idols, clay idol-makers are finding it difficult to find customers.
Traditional potter families say that the flooding of plaster of Paris idols and statuettes mass produced by moulds, have reduced the market share of clay idols.
“All this talk of eco-friendly Ganesh idols, without paint and harmful chemicals, is humbug,” says Maruti Jyotiba Kumbar, who is busy making clay Ganesh idols by hand, in a small shop near the Kapileshwar temple.
A group of 11 persons, that includes family members and labour, work for over 45 days to prepare between 400-600 Ganesh idols for the festival.
“Environmentalists keep talking about such things. But such statements are yet to catch the people’s fancy. Even the Belagavi City Corporation puts out advertisements asking people to stop using idols made of plaster. But all this is yet to sink in,’’ he said.
“At least 50,000-60,000 families may be buying idols and performing puja in their homes in Belagavi. I am sure nine out of 10 idols are made of plaster of Paris ,’’ he said. There were hundreds of Kumbar (potter) families in the city.
Most of them have moved out of their traditional occupation. Only a few families are still sticking to it, he said.
He counts only around 15 families that are now making idols or water jugs and cups out of clay.
A lot of them are no longer potters, he added.
According to him, the clay idols lost the race due to the glazing colours and variety designs of mass produced plaster moulds. Making copies from moulds is quick.
Mahesh Kumbar, another potter who makes clay idols, urged the government to create awareness among the people about the merits of clay idols over the moulded ones.
