Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 6: There was a time when the famous Konark Wheel made of red stone would be the most preferred souvenir for tourists to take back home from the Konark handicrafts market in front of the Sun Temple. However, it is a different story now. Cheap lookalikes made of plaster-of-paris or plastic have now replaced the original red stone souvenirs, thus driving into poverty a whole industry of artisans who made a livelihood out of sculpting the wheels from rock.
At any of the hundred-odd handicraft shops lining the road to the Sun Temple, there are hardly three to four of the original Konark Wheel trinkets made by local artisans on display, while the others are replicas made of plastic or plaster-of-paris. “The customer squirms at high prices of hand-sculpted local products, so we offer them plaster-of-paris replicas that come at half the price. Naturally, they go for the cheaper ones. There are few aficionados nowadays of the original thing,” said Munna Kirath (25), a handicraft seller.
“The idea behind sculpting the souvenir wheel from rock was to lend a little perspective as to the wondrous beauty that is the Sun Temple. Buyers would feel as if they are taking part of the Sun Temple back to their homes. These cheap trinkets that pass off for handicrafts can in no way be compared to the real thing,” Munna added.
The prices of local products are high, as the raw material (red stone) is sourced from Agra and the labour that goes into making the product comes at a price. The replicas are on the other hand made by simply moulding the plaster.
The market was further hit when the state government banned the mining of rocks. The local handicraft industry has to import them from Agra or some other state to survive which cost them around Rs 3 lakh per consignment. “Whatever sculpture you see here is not made out of local raw material, which is not available anymore after the ban was imposed. We have to procure it from other states,” said another seller Pratap Kumar Padhi.
With the decline in the demand, local artisans started migrating to states like Rajasthan and Gujrat where they are employed in polishing of diamond and gold. “I came here only for four days on a call from a local handicraft supplier. Here I’m paid Rs 200 a day but I accepted the offer since Nimapara is my home. I’ll be leaving for Rajasthan where I’m paid Rs 500-700 a day,” said Lakhan Swain, an artisan.
For the white marble sculpted statue, the raw material comes from Rajasthan. “Around 30 artisans who are in the neighbouring villages make the product for us during the peak season in December when tourists from other states come visiting. They have already left the profession and are now in farming. The art that they learnt from their forefathers is no more taught to the younger ones,” said Chandrakant Lenka, a local handicraft contractor.
