Ganesh Chaturthi 2021: Odisha Idol Makers Rue Tepid Sales Despite Unlock

With the festive season ahead, idol makers across Odisha are busy making idols of various Gods and Goddesses in adherence to the guidelines of the state government.

This is Ananta Charan Behera, an idol maker from Kendrapada who is making Lord Ganesha and Lord Vishwakarma’s idols ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi and Vishwakarma Puja. Ananta says that Covid-19 pandemic has affected the small scale idol makers severely and they are yet to see normalisation in business.

A few other idol makers from the region have also raised concerns over lack of orders amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Another idol maker from Kendrapara region, Sasmita Behera says though lockdown restrictions have been eased, customers are unwilling to buy idols.