The hub for firecrackers, Sivakasi, may pride itself at being referred to as ‘Little Japan’, for all the members of its families never have spare time and are busy throughout the day. Similarly, a hamlet in Villupuram district, Ayyankovilpattu, takes immense pride at being called ‘Little Sivakasi’, for similar reasons — a whopping 1,000 idols of Ganesha, each at least 3 ft in height, are made by 20-odd families that live here. These idols then find their way to various parts of the State and the country.
The village is a beehive of activity even on Monday afternoon, the day of Vinayaka Chaturthi, with customers who had placed their orders coming in and collecting their idols, while artisans are seen give finishing touches to some idols.
The next one month too would be busy. “It isn’t that the sale of the idols will stop with Ganesha Chaturthi. People come in for one more month purchasing the idols,” says Mallika (47) who belongs to a family of artisans. She and her brother have been in the trade for about two decades.
Mallika says all the members of her family get initiated to the trade at a very early age. “The young ones are first taught simple tasks such as setting the material on the mould and removing them from it. They gradually move on to fitting the various parts of the idols together and applying the finishing touches on them,” she explains.
Papier-mache is the preferred choice for making idols, which range from three feet to 25 feet in height, and oil paints are generally used to colour them.
Other materials such as Plaster of Paris are avoided, as they do not dissolve when immersed in water bodies, the makers said. This year, the village made around 1,000 idols that would adorn platforms across the nation.
Work has to start at least six months in advance, to make it in time for Ganesh Chaturthi.
The first step in the manufacture involves creating the dye and the mould for the various parts of the idol. Geetha, of another artisan family, says work commences shortly after the harvest festival of Pongal.
The village receives orders from as far as Vishakapatnam and Bangalore.