Khurda: The district administration’s decision banning grand Ganesh Puja celebrations this year in Khurda’s Jatni town has cast a dark shadow on the hope of clay idol makers.
Every year as the festive season sets in, a kind of festive mood fills the air in Jatni town. Starting from educational institutions to clubs and puja committees get charged with this festive fervour. Lord Ganesh is worshipped at over 200 pandals and the festival lasts for 12 days in this town.
The grand celebration of Ganesh Puja here has been a good source of earning for the idol makers here. What they earn during this time often sees them through the next four to five months.
The idol makers had expected the same earning this year as well. But the district administration’s order regarding no community puja celebrations this year has cast a dark shadow on their hope.
“Hoping for the situation to improve by Ganesh Puja, I had made many small idols, some bigger and some large idols. We the idol makers here always long for this festival as we earn handsomely during this time of the year. The cancellation of Ganesh Puja has left us nowhere. I am not sure what to do with the idols that we have already made,” idol maker Sukant Behera said.
Sharing his situation, Chandrakant Behera, another idol maker said he had received orders from his permanent puja committees for large Ganesh idols. “Due to the restrictions, the committees have decided to make do with smaller idols. I have already invested thousands of rupees in procuring straw, clay, colours and other related things. At this time of trouble, but for timely assistance from the administration we will find it difficult to run our families.”
When contacted, Khurda district collector Sanat Mohanty said, “The cancellation of puja celebration at pandals and educational institutions is for the safety of people. If we get applications from poor idol makers for assistance, we will take a call after evaluating ground realities.”
PNN