Sourcing clay from lakebeds to make idols

After testing the stickiness of the clay, the artisans place orders. Only then the lakes are dug up to a depth of 6 feet, and clay is extracted.
Image used for representation. (AFP)
Image used for representation. (AFP)

MYSURU: Wondered who supplies clay for the making of Ganesha idols? The answer is right here. There are people who are exclusively engaged in digging clay soil found in and around Mysuru. Since generations, they have been supplying clay for the traditional Ganesha idol makers.These suppliers take the villagers’ help and make a list of the dry lakes in the villages. Later, they take the idol makers to the lakes to ascertain if the soil is suitable for them. After testing the stickiness of the clay, the artisans place orders. Only then the lakes are dug up to a depth of 6 feet, and clay is extracted. Once the mud is extracted from the dried lake, some of them cover the pit, while most leave it claiming that it’s a form of desilting.

N Nagendra (45), of Sosale (T Narasipur taluk), who is a tailor by profession, supplies around 20 to 25 tonnes of clay every year to the idol makers. Nagendra’s forefathers earned their livelihood by making pottery. Nagendra who used to accompany his father learnt the skill of extracting the mud from the dried lakes for making bricks and pottery items. Today, he is using the knowledge to supply clay for the idol makers.

“My father Lingashetty taught me how to judge the quality of the clay and how to remove clay from a dried lake bed. Once the artisans are satisfied, we dig up the lake bed with the help of an earthmover and remove the clay. Later, we cover the pit with the leftover soil. If the clay is of good quality, we dig at 3-4 different places in the same lake and collect it. In this way, I have been extracting clay from lakes for the last 35 years,” says Nagendra who has given up the pottery business with changing times, and has switched over to tailoring. 

He says: ” During my father’s time, we used to supply clay free of cost in a bullock cart to artisans. Now, everything is commercialised; transportation and finding labourers  has become a challenge.”Siddegowdru (43) of Kumbarkoppalu says: “We pay a nominal tax to the Gram Panchayat and collect clay from the lakes. On an average, I supply 70-80 tonnes of clay every year to over a dozen artisans. I feel proud, as we are contributing to celebrate an eco-friendly festival and protecting our environment.”

For the traditional clay idol makers of Gowri-Ganesha, the preparation begins six months before  the festival. This involves identifying the right kind of clay, processing and then moulding it into idols.S Shyamsundar, a third generation artisan who has been making Ganesha idols for the past 25 years, says: “We begin looking for clay in April-May. Once we get the clay, we start softening it. We mix the clay with a little water and leave it to set. Later, we make small mounds of clay and stamp it with legs so that the mud softens and we can mould it easily. During the process, if we find any small stones we remove them, as they might crack the idols while drying.”D Revanna, a third-generation artisan who has been making idols for the past four decades, says: “I get samples of clay from a few lakes from the villagers every year, and order the soil which suits me more.”
(nagarathna@newindianexpress.com)

DEMAND UP
The demand for clay idols has gone up this year due to a strict warning by the Mysuru City Corporation to celebrate eco-friendly Gowri-Ganesha festival. This has brought a big relief for traditional makers of Ganesha idols.  Many  artisans said this year there has been  an increase of sale in clay idols by 30%. Artisan Srinivas, a resident of Hebbal, said, “We are happy with the good response to clay idols. The awareness programmes in schools and protests by greens helped the artisans a  lot.” 

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com