THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Navaratri is around the corner and with that, it is time for many city residents to deck their houses with kolus (doll arrangements) of gods and goddesses, by arranging them neatly on wooden steps. The festivities have also brought cheer to traditional idol makers in the city who have been facing crippling losses since the Covid pandemic struck in 2020.
Karamana native Raju, who hails from a family of traditional kolu doll makers and has been in the business for over 50 years, said, “Since the festival spans nine days, preparation for making kolu dolls starts a month ahead of the sale of Navaratri idols in the capital city.”
Though the pandemic had ruined their business last year with hardly any sale on Vinayaka Chaturthi and Navaratri, Raju hopes things will better this year. Raju is a second-generation sculptor. After the demise of his father, Raju and his family took over the business.
“Kolu dolls used to be in demand during the festival. I used to make around 100 to 150 units. However, this year, I had to bring them from Tamil Nadu because the cost of clay, the material used for making these idols, has increased. One truckload of clay costs `2,000 which we cannot afford at this moment. Moreover, access to clay has become difficult,” says Raju, who has been a sculptor for the past 25 years.
He says some artisans use Plaster of Paris (PoP) to make idols but he used to make them the traditional way, using clay. “But last year, since no festivities were allowed, many idols remained unsold and got damaged. So we are not making more this year,” he says.
The kolu dolls are priced anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 2,000, depending on size. “We have 10 varieties of Lord Krishna dolls and kolus of goddesses like Saraswati and Parvathi. We also put a variety of unique idols every year but this year, we haven’t brought more varieties as we are still doubtful how the business will turn out,” says Raju.
Sustenance
Raju and his wife Selvi sold vegetables throughout the lockdown to make a living. Prema, another doll-maker, says, “The pandemic has affected the kolu doll business largely. My entire family depends on this. This is the only skill we know, so it is hard for us to take up any other trade. We hope this year is better for us.”