Bihar: Potters, Idol Makers Continue Suffering Wrath of Pandemic

Despite the increasing number of cases daily, the COVID-19 pandemic has been reduced to only a narrative, with the restrictions being eased and the impact hidden under the disguise of Assembly polls. However, the effect of the pandemic has anything but eased, with a huge toll on every sphere of life especially in rural Bihar, where the potters and idol makers have been badly hit.

Known as “Kumhars” in the rural dialect, potter and idol makers are staring at an excruciating future ahead of the autumn festivities due to fall in idol demand and reduced earning owing to the economic crunch in the backdrop of the pandemic-induced lockdown.

Parmeshwar Pandit (83), a potter by profession since the age of 10, is involved in the making of clay items like lamp, water jar, etc. The octogenarian with artistic merit sits beside the main road that connects Samastipur town and Tajpur in the area named Shambhupatti, amid dust and pollution, moulding the clay on the manually-operated rotating pottery wheel.

Potters and idol makers in different regions of the state had anticipated adverse conditions prior to Vishwakarma puja. Even though artisans like Parmeshwar Pandit, along with his grandson Nitesh (15), began speeding up his work of making clay lamps and idols of gods and goddesses, they were unsure. “Earlier, I used to get mud free of cost, but today I have to cough up Rs 5,000 to buy a tractor of mud and a diya pair is sold at meagre Re. 1/-,” said Parmeshwar who earns around Rs 6,000 a month. His sons have been forced to work as daily labourers to supplement his income. The pandemic induced lockdown has added misery to their lives as the sale of products dipped drastically due to markets being closed for months.

Also read:Potters in Bihar Struggle to Meet Ends Amid Lack of Profit

“I had to reduce the number of staffs who assist in idol making due to low income. Weeks back, Vishwakarma puja left a hint of low orders of idols. Festivals this year are no more a hefty affair of high cost and scale,” said Narain Pandit (50), a Sakra-based idol maker.

The exigency of the craftsmen in the entire material set-up of idol making finds its expression on several festive occasions that begins from the month of September every year and ends in November with the culmination of Chhath puja which is considered to be a grand festival in Bihar and UP. However, the case is very different this year, with the pandemic and flood in parts of Bihar taking a huge toll on the aspirations and livelihood of these craftsmen.

Gautam Pandit, Idol Maker

Many clay artists claimed to have undergone heavy loss even before the onset of this festive season. Idols were made but with few buyers it became an impossible task to retain even a marginal profit. Gautam Pandit (26), who is based in Vaishali district, has been engage in this profession for decades. He explained to NewsClick that idol making involves tedious work of extracting clay i.e. Kumraut maati from 15-20 feet deep dried up well, which requires a month’s time to dry before it can be put to use. But even this tedious work has not reaped the desired results as orders from nearby timber factories and big welding shops have reduced significantly. Many Vishwakarma idols remained unsold leading to unexpected loss.

“Moreover, orders of Durga puja idols are the lowest since I have been in profession. By now I have received only four orders, while in past years it used to be 20,” he added.

Lalji Pandit, Potter, Muzaffarpur

“Manually shaping the clay to form various items of use requires deep perseverance. But, the craft of pottery is fading from the minds of contemporary generation as it has too many challenges, a lot of uncertainties and no financial stability,” said Lalji Pandit. The sexagenarian, who resides in village Senduari, 30 km north of Muzaffarpur, and has mastered the craft of shaping amorphous clay into cheap sold household item, finds no concept of profit in pottery. According to him, the hard earned money in a day becomes an expense by evening. “My sons did not learn to make earthen items as its non profitable and it speaks about the future of this craft,” he said.

Earthen items.

With 12 members in her family, depending on pottery for livelihood seems a tough sail with soaring prices of raw materials like mud, paint and dry wooden blocks used to bake the earthen products for Indu Devi. She said that the products of pottery in contemporary times have remained confined to rural hamlets. In cities, they are sold at high prices through vendors and their initial manufacturers stand at the receiving end with no profit. “Besides, the art is getting lost in fast moving world with no one to inherit as it is deprived of stable future,” she added, echoing Lalji’s words.

Idol makers across various cities are also reeling under financial constraint. Surender Pandit (45), an idol artist in Bairiya, Muzaffarpur, said that Durga Puja and Diwali were usually a period of boom for business but the pandemic has hit their sales.

“Celebrations will have limitations with elections near corner. The first lockdown itself was a subversive message that idol making business will get affected severely. After expense of Rs. 10,000/- over a large sized idol we used to earn profit of Rs. 2000 but post lockdown the scenario may not prevail as low demand is laden all over with most customers bargaining to buy idols at cheaper rate,” he said.

Bhagalpur, Hajipur, Danapur and even the capital city of Patna may also witness dampening of the festive enthusiasm. “Puja committees may not have a high expenditure over costly and large sized idols. We had begun this year enthusiastically during Saraswati Puja but through the months the pandemic led lockdown has affected our livelihood badly and its effect still looms over us,” said Patna-based idol maker Shiv Kumar Pandit.