CUTTACK: THE nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 has left stone carving artisans of Cuttack’s Lalitgiri village in dire straits as the market for their products has vanished. The famous Lalitgiri Buddhist site is dotted with the artisan households, around 300, all of whom depend on stone craving work for their livelihood.
At least two to three members of each family have expertise in carving and making different exquisite engraved sculptures and other household articles. Many of them are now working in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Hyderabad and Delhi, while others operate from their village which is also home to artisans of State and national repute like Shilpi Guru Kalpataru Moharana, Indramani Moharana and Khirod Moharana. However, the prolonged lockdown has hit the artisans hard. Sans raw materials like stones, customers and marketing facilities, they are waiting for Government intervention for sustenance.
“The fate of the artisans of our village is now at stake. This age-old occupation has been a source of livelihood since the time of our ancestors. The pandemic has pushed us to the edge,” said Abhimanyu Moharana. Even customers who had earlier ordered for different stone carved sculptures are not turning up to receive their orders due to lockdown, he added.
Generally, tourists who visit Lalitgiri buy sculptures and household articles from the artisans but due to lockdown, tourist footfall has dropped, said another villager. Local Congress leader Debendra Sahoo, in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has urged for a special package for their survival. The artisans can only survive if organisations like Handicraft Corporation, KVIC and Nabard render financial and market support, he said.