Rain as wet blanket? Ganesha idol-makers break into a sweat drying up statues

Time of India

2 days ago

Pic: An idol maker in the city uses gas burners to dry idols following rains
Hubballi: Many artisans who are busy making Ganesha idols in the twin cities, are finding it difficult to meet the demands of customers placing orders for Ganesh Chaturthi, due to heavy rains.
Moderate to heavy rain have been lashing for the past two months.
As the festival is approaching, many are toiling hard to deliver on time. However, the rain has become and hurdle in the idol drying process, said the idol makers.
The artisans, who are supposed to be busy giving final touches to idols, are still busy drying the clay idols. The humidity in the air keeps the idols moist, hence delaying the painting process.
Many fear that if the idols don't dry on time, idols can't be painted and also cannot decorate the idols. Some artisans have even cancelled some orders following heavy rains.
"Ban on POP idols have increased the demand for clay idols, but heavy rain is hampering the idol making process. I have stopped taking fresh orders due to the rain. It has become difficult to dry idols and give final touches. We are using a heater to dry the idols," said Vijayakumar Kamble, an artisan in Bammapur street.
Nabkumar Chitraghar from West Bengal, who is making idols in Ganeshpet, said, "We are now using a gas burner to dry the idols so we can paint and decorate them. We have to deliver 45 idols which are to be installed in public places. We are working 14 to 16 hours daily to meet the expectations. We have erected a big pandal and tin shed to protect idols from the rain," he said.
Eco-friendly idol maker Manjunath Hiremath of Kelgeri said, "It is really a big challenge for artisans to make idols in the rains.
We fix the idol's price before taking orders, and are using artificial techniques like charcoal ovens, heaters, pedestal fans, blowtorches, or gas burners to dry the idols, which is increasing the production cost. Now, we need to find other ways to make idols facing climate challenges," he added.
Satish Murghod, another artist, said, "I had to cancel some orders following the rain, and I am using a heater in the morning and evening to dry the idols." Many other artists said, "If we used heaters or burners to dry the idols, there are chances that it might crack, so we are using fans, heaters, and other methods extra cautiously," they said.
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