2 days ago
Surge in demand of Lord Ram idols in Prayagraj, Ayodhya & Kashi
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Prayagraj: With the second phase of the consecration ceremony at the Lord Ram temple in
Ayodhya
, the demand for both small and large idols of Lord Ram made of fibre resin material has surged in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj.
The Sangam city and Lucknow-based handicraft units, which makes idols of Lord Ram, has received bulk orders for both sizes of idols, with heights of 6.5 ft and 1 ft, respectively.
Anurag Asthana, who introduced the concept of shaping Lord Ram idols using clay modelling techniques and fibre resin materials, told TOI: "There is a record demand for the Lord Ram idols across the markets of the state. A team of five to six artisans is working round-the-clock to cope with the demand."
He said the demand for particularly small idols has increased in view of the second phase of the consecration ceremony.
Asthana, meanwhile, claimed that the artists first apply clay modelling to prepare the base and then use fibre resin materials to complete the idol. While it takes two to three days to prepare a small idol, it takes about 30 days for a big one. He said the demand for big idols was recorded more in the Prayagraj district.
Interestingly, over 5,000 small idols of Lord Ram made of fibre resin material have already been sold out, and shoppers are more interested in purchasing the small idols due to their size and availability.
Similarly, idols with a height of 6.5 feet are being made on demand only. Tourists flocking to the holy cities of UP from the rest of the country are purchasing these idols them for themselves as well as for gift purposes.
Makers said that they have to take up double production of idols in both Prayagraj and Lucknow after witnessing the increasing demand in the markets.
