Dharmapuri artisans seek warehouse for storing clay, statues

New Indian Express

2 days ago

DHARMAPURI: Artisans involved in the traditional making of clay dolls, Vinayagar statues, and other sculptures have urged the Dharmapuri administration to provide a warehouse to store their clay and statues, protecting them from erratic climate conditions.
In Adhiyamankottai, a group of fifty artisans is involved in the production of clay statues, 'golu bommai', and earthenwares, among other products. All the products are made from clay, and most of this clay is kept out in the open. During the monsoon season, this becomes a significant challenge as much of the clay is washed away by the summer showers. Hence, artisans here have urged the administration to take steps to provide them with a facility to store their products and clay.
S Vinayagam from Adhiyamankottai, an artisan for over 19 years, said, "Traditionally made products have lost their luster in the past two decades, but we continue manufacturing statues that have been requested. We only make clay statues, primarily Vinayagar statues with non-toxic water coloring, which is easily soluble and eco-friendly. We get our clay from local lakes located 10 to 15 km away from our workshop. We transport clay using ox carts, but we have no place to store the clay."
He added, "In some cases, we store the clay in our homes, but it is not always feasible. Most of the time, it is stored outside, and during the rainy season, it gets washed away. It is also challenging to get more clay in the monsoon season, so we have requested the administration to provide us with a warehouse to store our statues and clay."
Another artisan, K. Ganeshan, said, "We make statues ranging from 2 to 20 feet or based on the specifications of our order. It is not possible to store these in our homes, so we place them outside and cover them with plastic sheets. But there is a high chance the statues could be damaged, so we request the administration to provide us with land to set up a warehouse. It could be used by all the artisans in the area to store both clay and statues. It costs about Rs 1,500 to transport one load. Considering the decline in businesses, it is a loss."
He further stated, "During monsoons, our furnace will also not burn, and a protected work area where we can store and work on our products would at least prevent us from making losses."
Officials in the district administration said they would look into the matter and take the necessary steps.