KOLKATA: With doctors ringing alarm bells over an “inevitable” Covid-19 third wave, majority of artisans in Kumartuli are staring at a bleak future with some organisers either holding back or cancelling pre-booked orders.
But, a small section of artisans is trying to make the most of the government relaxations and dip in Covid cases in the US and European nations by starting to ship idols to abroad from this month.
“I have already shipped 12 fibreglass idols to USA, Canada, Australia, Germany and Italy.
Five more are ready to be shipped to USA, Australia and South Africa.
The situation is bad here but it has certainly improved abroad.
This has resulted in an increase in orders compared to what it was last year,” said Kaushik Ghosh, who has been shipping Durga idols abroad from the lanes of Kumartuli for the last 16 years.
A six-ft fiberglass idol, along with its wooden packing case and accompaniments, weighs anything between 200kg-250kg and is easily transportable.
Each idol is now being sanitised, wrapped carefully in bubble sheets and packed in the wooden crates before the courier agency drills holes in them and fumigates the entire consignment ahead of delivery.
Artisans say, in other years, fiberglass idols begin their overseas journey during April-May season but this year, with no work in hand, many have readying the overseas consignments in advance and most of them have already been shipped as well.
“I have already shipped my consignments to Germany.
I also have an idol that was to be sent to Tokyo in Japan but the organisers have put it on hold for sometime as they wait to get the nod from the local authorities,” said Basudeb Pal.
However, majority of artisans still rue the fact that very few orders for idols have been placed this year even as the puja is barely 110 days away.
“I have already shipped idols to Japan and USA but the extra amount I had to spend on sanitisation and packaging has left me with very little profit.
Unless we get local orders, we will never be able to sustain our livelihood in this profession,” said artisan Subol Pal.
At the start of the year, Kumartuli artisans were eyeing for a turnaround, banking on a steady stream of order for Saraswati Puja.
But the second wave has hit them harder and fear of an impending third wave has left them more anxious with a large number of organisers cancelling pre-booked orders.
“Last year, business was bad.
But this year, the situation seems worse.
Last year, the organisers had still ordered for smaller idols but this year, pre-booked orders are being cancelled and there have been very few fresh orders.
Artisans are in fact calling up organisers, for whom they have been making idols for years, but everyone is keeping the orders on hold,” said Babu Pal, secretary of Kumartuli Mritshilpi Sanskriti Samity.