With Durga Puja less than two weeks away, idol makers in Dhaka and other parts of the country are working long hours to meet the seasonal rush.
But behind the colorful images taking shape in their workshops lies a harsher reality: the price of idols has risen, yet their profits have not kept pace.
Higher prices of raw materials, rising wages and other costs are eating into their earnings.
Artisans said the growing use of technology is reducing demand for some hand-crafted work, while younger members of their families are reluctant to carry on the traditional profession.
Gopalganj’s Ratan Pal, 54, has spent 26 years making idols.
He learned the craft in Madaripur and is now working at Ramna Kali Temple in Dhaka with five other artisans.
Ratan said an idol that cost Tk 50,000-60,000 to make around a decade ago now costs about Tk 100,000.
But that does not mean his earnings have doubled.
“The price of idols has gone up, but so have the costs of everything else – raw materials, wages and food,” he said.
Six artisans typically work on a single idol, he said. Once their wages and other expenses are paid, little is left for the makers.
And the work is not available throughout the year.
Ratan said idol makers get around 200 to 250 days of work a year, with demand peaking around major festivals.
During the rest of the year, orders are limited.
Technology is also changing the way idols are made.
“Many smaller idols are now made with the help of machines. As a result, there is less work for artisans who make them by hand,” Ratan said.
He acknowledged that technology has made some parts of the process faster and more precise.
Paint, for example, is often applied using sprays before artisans add finishing touches with brushes.
But something is lost in the process, he feels.
“Earlier, every part of an idol was made by hand. We would spend time and care on every detail. That affection and personal touch are not there in the same way anymore,” he said.
For 58-year-old Boloy Pal, the challenge is not only about technology or rising costs. It is also about whether the tradition will survive another generation.
Boloy has been making idols for 38 years, continuing a family tradition that has lasted five generations.
This year, it is taking around three months to complete an idol at Sri Sri Pranaballabh Jiu Temple, where he is working with six other artisans.
Yet none of that guarantees that the craft will continue in his family.
His son is studying in Kolkata and his daughter in the United States. Neither has shown interest in taking up idol-making.
“Idol makers do not get the respect they deserve, and it has become difficult to support a family through this work,” Boloy said. “That is why the younger generation does not want to enter the profession.”
For artisans like Ratan and Boloy, Durga Puja remains the busiest and most important time of the year.
But the few months of activity cannot hide the uncertainty that follows.