Bhuban: Despite physical limitations, clay idol maker Niranjan Sahoo from Bhuban notified area council (NAC) limits in Dhenkanal district has created his own identity in the district.
The young man from ward-13 is hearing impaired and mute by birth. Despite physical challenges, he has understood that one cannot live without struggle.
“I made the disabilities my strength in life. After losing my father in childhood days, I had to stand on my own and support my family. I have three siblings and my widow mother,” Niranjan says.
“Since I had to deliver clay idols exactly to the requirements of customers, I had to understand what they need. Gradually, I became well-versed with sign language with the help of my younger brother Bapina Sahoo,” he adds.
Niranjan could not continue his studies beyond Class X in his village school. Initially, he started making clay idols for fellow villagers free of charge during festivals such as Khudurukuni, Ganesh Puja and Saraswati Puja. As his popularity grew, he started making idols of Biswakarma, Kali, Lakshmi and Kartikeswar.
That said, with COVID-19 outbreak as well as lockdown restrictions bringing all festivities to a halt, physically-challenged allowance of Rs 700 per month which he gets has become his only source of earning. It does not suffice his needs, he rues while adding that earlier he used to earn over Rs 2,00,000 in a year from clay idol making.
A bit of financial help from the government would go a long way in changing his life, several fellow villagers said.