Simulia: Karunakar Maharana is a known name in Ria area under this block in Balasore district. When it comes to clay idol-making, his name tops the list. He is known for his strokes of the brush after the clay idols seem to come alive.
Karunakar spent his childhood in poverty. The financial condition was so acute that he had to give up education when in Class V. However, an inclination towards making clay idols started growing inside him. He started making idols, refining his skill with time. He has now not only been able to get rid of poverty, but also runs his family of nine–three brothers, two sisters, his wife, two daughters and a son.
“I have no guru. But I must be thankful to God for bestowing creativity on me. That creativity has brought me thus far. I always advise my son Ganesh not to run after jobs and take idol-making as a career instead. I am happy that he has also developed a penchant for this,” Karunakar said.
Every year the festive season brings him an opportunity to make a good earning. During this time he keeps visiting Delhi and Chennai as the Odia communities living there invite him to make idols for their puja pandals. “Last year I was invited to a temple at New Delhi where I spent three months to make Radha Krushna idols out of stone as I am equally deft in stone and wooden craft,” he said.
Apart from making idols of gods and goddesses, he takes great pleasure in making idols that convey a social message.
Though he has no dearth of orders, yet he feels sad that clay idol makers are being neglected in Odisha. “Odisha is known for its art. We have many talented artisans, be it in stone carving or idol-making. But they are being neglected as it has become a trend across the state to engage idol makers from Kolkata instead of our own,” he complained.
“The non-availability of some decorative items, which are ample in Kolkata, is another reason why artisans from that city have an edge over us in decoration,” he said adding the deluge of Plaster of Paris idols in the markets has come as another blow.
Besides, the artisans here are not being encouraged by the government unlike their counterparts in other states. “If our youths could get proper training and encouragement, there would be no stopping them,” he observed.
Karunakar now imparts training in idol-making to local youths to make them self-reliant.
PNN