Eyes of faith, hands of toil: Pen's artisans race against time to complete orders
This year, though, the rush is greater and the thousands of workshops in the town are in overdrive, with artisans working in double shifts to finish nearly 1.8 million idols ahead of August 25, when deliveries are expected to peak.
Usually, work on idols measuring more than 6 feet – which comprise a bulk of the orders and are made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) – starts in May. Nationalised banks extend loans of worth more than ₹200 crore to artisans every year to kickstart the process.
But this year, work commenced only after the Bombay High Court, on June 9, lifted the ban on use of PoP.
'We lost nearly a month waiting for clarity on PoP,' said Shrikant Deodhar, a senior artisan at Gaon Devi Lane, whose family has been sculpting idols since the 1860s. The delay pushed up the price of PoP by nearly 20–25%, with a sack of PoP now costing ₹2,010. Prices of shaadu clay, bamboo, paints and labour too shot up, forcing artisans to raise prices of idols. Larger idols bore the brunt of cost escalation, said vendors.
Ganapti idols made in Pen are discernible from their eyes, which are expressive, intricate, and soulful, and often referred to as 'Pen-style eyes'. In December 2023, these idols were granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, formally recognising local craftsmanship and barring cheap imitations. The tag has helped offset the hike in raw material and idol prices this year, said vendors.
'The GI tag has boosted Pen's brand identity in the domestic market and helped us secure export orders with greater confidence,' said Deodhar. 'It is the eye work that infuses life into the idols we make. Now, buyers everywhere are asking for those eyes.'
This year, bulk orders were received from Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Palghar, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. Export orders, though modest compared to domestic volumes, also rose significantly, with idols being shipped to the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and Dubai.
'NRIs want Bappa exactly as they remember from their childhoods — expressive eyes, classic poses, no gimmicks,' said Ravi Jadhav, who coordinates exports near Pen railway station.
Eco-friendly idols made of shaadu clay are slowly gaining ground, encouraged by civic drives and free clay distribution, said vendors. But PoP remains the dominant raw material, especially for large idols, due to its moldability and durability, they noted.
'Shaadu clay idols are beautiful but take longer to sculpt,' said Nilesh Samel, who specialises in making mid-sized idols for homes. 'We need more support from the government for these eco-friendly idols to become viable in the long term.'
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