HYDERABAD, INDIA, July 3, 2007: With Ganesha Chaturthi just around the corner in September Deity makers are focusing on providing Ganesha murthis for the festival. Many families earn their livelihood making murthis. Deity maker Subodh Singh says, “About 500 families live off them.” The news report explains Singh’s profession, “He has four sheds in Dhoolpet, a corner of the old city widely known as a workshop of Ganesh Deities. He will sell at least 50 large and 250 small Deities before the season ends. A large one, measuring 12 feet or more in height, will sell at more than US$250. The rate goes down in proportion with the height. On an average, they earn $50,000 a year with a quarter marked up as profit.” Singh adds, “We are using some eco-friendly colors made of natural dyes this year on the advice of Pollution Control Board but if not for the loans that the Board is offering, we would never go for natural colors. Synthetics are bright, come in several hues and attract customers better.”
Rising labor and material costs plus the unpredictable volume for the sale of murthis is causing stress in the industry. Singh explains, “Two years ago production exceeded demand so much that we had incurred losses. The labour has to be employed for 10 months now instead of the earlier 5-6 months to meet the ever-growing demand estimates. This raises the costs. The pricing of Deities also depends on the rates of Plaster of Paris from Rajasthan, whiting powder from Surat and coir from coastal Andhra.”