Chagollu in Prakasam district used to be abuzz with activity as devotees from different parts of south-coastal Andhra Pradesh thronged the village to return with attractive Ganesh idols for the Vinayaka Chavithi festival.
This year, however, is different.
Only a handful of customers have turned up at the village, located close to the Chennai-Kolkata highway, as celebrations are going to be low-key this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Skilled artistans from Rajasthan, West Bengal and other States have been camping here since December with gigantic idols in store to woo pandal organisers who look for attractive new models of idols every year.
“We had lined up rows of idols well before the nationwide lockdown was clamped,” says T. Hemaram, who is clueless on how to go about selling the idols that were made at an investment of over ₹10 lakh.
“Coronavirus has hit our business hard this year,” lamented the artisan in a conversation with The Hindu while overseeing the finishing works on some of the idols.
Around 50 to 60 families come all the way from Jaipur to make exquisite idols by engaging 20 to 30 artisans every year.
“This year, we have not received orders for big idols,” said a workshop owner K. Srinivasa Rao.
Moreover, the cost of all the raw material, including paints and plaster of paris (POP), had gone up by 15% compared to last year’s prices. Adding to their woes is the health hazard now.
Now, the artisans have started making smaller idols of one to two feet, hoping that the authorities will permit their sale as they will be used only by families and residential complexes.
“We burnt the midnight oil to make the idols, but we have no option but to incur losses this year,” said Shantharam, another artisan.
Police sound caution
Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal cautioned pandal organisers not to go for large-scale celebrations as the Disaster Management Act is in force.
“Reasonable restrictions will be imposed as any big gathering may cause the spread of the virus,” he said.
Elaborate guidelines will be issued on the eve of the festival in the interest of public health.
Gatherings of not more than five people will be allowed, that too when all precautions like wearing face masks and cleaning hands with hand sanitiser and social distancing are followed, Mr. Kaushal said.
