Kolkata: Sales of Idol Vishwakarma in Kumartuli has declined by almost 25 to 40% this year.
This is a gloomy indicator of financial difficulties in small and medium industries in the city and suburbs where God is worshiped every 17 September followed by a party.
Before ganapati stealing the show, Lord Vishwakarma will deliver the celebration season in Bengal which continues until Puja times.
But this year demand for low idols due to a pandemic, economic decline and closing several units due to lack of business.
“I will sell at least five large idols and a few small.
This year I only sell two large and very small idols,” said Mode Paul, an artisan in Kumartuli.
Jhulan Paul, another person, said that almost no orders for this year’s great idol which usually came from industrial groups in 24 pargana and several parts of Kolkata.
“Orders have declined by 25 to 40% this year,” Paul said.
In areas like Baithakhana in Amherst Street, where some printing machines are, the mood is bleak.
“Many people have closed the unit because there is no business,” Jyoti Kumar Sarkar said, related to the binding of the book.
The transportation sector has also been hit.
“I have four taxi applications.
I have to sell two because they don’t take adequate income,” SaGnik Ghosh, a transporter in the middle Kolkata.
This year some business owners organize Puja Ganesh so they cannot set aside adequate funds for other puels in just a week.
Even small and medium sized sweetshops have received fewer orders.