Khurda: Until COVID-19 outbreak, he was known as a clay idol maker. Now people know him as a successful mushroom farmer.
Meet Asish Rana from Gurujang Mali Sahi on the outskirts of Khurda, who has not only made the transition possible but also have become an example for others who hesitate to change their traditional vocation even during trying times like these.
Earning livelihood from clay idols has been in Asish’s family since generations. Asish’s father Jatadharai Rana has been a clay idol maker from his childhood days. Asish and his brother Subhasish were happy to carry forward the legacy.
According to them, their season starts with Ganesh Puja. For this, they start preparation from January. January and February are given to collection of straw and clay – the two main raw materials needed in idol making. They then begin idol-making from March.
The season starts with Ganesh puja, followed by Khudurukuni puja, Biswakarma puja, Durga puja, Kali puja, Laxmi puja, Kartik puja and closes with Saraswati puja. The earning from these festivals sees them through the entire year.
“Apart from our family members, we employ ten labourers to meet the demand. We would have so many orders with us that taking rest would become a luxury,” Asish says.
“This year, COVID-19 has spelt doom for us. We had already made Ganesh idols of varying sizes starting from three-feet to 12-feet tall. Then came COVID-19 restrictions prompting the committees to cancel their orders that led to heavy financial losses for us,” he adds.
As our source of earning got squeezed, we found it difficult to make both ends meet. Finding no other way, we started growing mushrooms in our backyard. My father and brother are assisting me, he says.
Asish says they are selling 30 to 40 kilograms of mushrooms every day and it has saved them from the tough times. “Mushroom cultivation has given me a totally different identity. I plan to expand the scale,” Asish concludes cheerfully.
PNN