MADURAI: The festival season has augured well for artisans in Vilachery who said sales have increased by 40% compared to last year. Nearly 300 families in Vilachery are engaged in making traditional clay idols for Vinayagar Chathurthi, golu dolls for Navaratri and figurines for Christmas for several generations. The Tamil Nadu government recognised Vilachery as a toy-making micro cluster in 2022, acknowledging its traditional craftsmanship.
Navratri is a major season for the artisans, with clay dolls supplied to several states.
M Ramalingam, president of the Vilachery Clay Idol Makers Association, said artisans witnessed encouraging demand this year, with exports of clay dolls crossing Rs 10 crore against around Rs 7 crore during previous year.
“Idols are priced from Rs 50- Rs 80 for a six-inch figurine, and price varies according to size. Bulk orders from Karnataka contributed significantly to the increase in sales this year,” he said.
Ramalingam added that sales dipped during Vinayagar Chathurthi, but Navratri brought some relief to artisans. He urged the State government to organise promotional campaigns to showcase the distinctive features of Vilachery’s traditional dolls and expand their market.
Pitchai, an artisan, said themed doll sets, including the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple Kumbabishekam and Puri Jagannath Temple, are the main attractions this year. Figurines of doctors, police personnel and people from other professions were also in demand for golu displays.
In contrast, sales at the state-run Poompuhar Navratri special expo remained subdued. A senior Poompuhar official said the expo had twice as many varieties of dolls on display as last year.
However, the market is localised and sales so far stood at around Rs 6 lakh, against more than Rs 10 lakh during the corresponding festive season last year.
Two days ahead of Navratri, sales has not picked up in the expo, raising concerns among artisans despite the wider range of dolls on display.