Simulia: Idol maker Karunakar Moharana feels bitter about the lack of government support to local artisans.
“Sculptors of Odisha fail to get government support and as a result our art and sculpture are unable to have a chance of excellence,” lamented 61-year-old Karunakar, an idol maker hailing from Ria in Simulia block of Balasore.
He is known for his idol making skills even outside the state. The idols Karunakar makes look lively. Five years ago, he was honoured by the state government at Soochana Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. He is equally adept in cement and stone sculpting. Most importantly, he teaches locals youths the art of idol making.
Karunakar has learnt idol making on his own, without any guru. He did not want his only son Ganesh to run after government or private jobs, but trained him to be an artisan.
Born to Gobinda and Suka Moharana, Karunakar has studied up to Class V. When he was 20, he started making idols and supported a family of three brothers and two sisters. He has two daughters and a son.
An Odia outfit had invited him to Prasanthi Nilayam for making idols of Goddess Durga. He has also made idols at other places.
Karunakar had gone to New Delhi for three months and made stone images of Radha and Krishna for a temple and earned Rs 3 lakh from his effort.
“Various puja committees in Odisha like to engage artisans from Kolkata in idol making during Ganesh puja, Durga puja and Kali puja. They spray paints on the idols so as to quickly finish the work, but our artisans use paint brush to make the idols lively,” he observed.
All the decorative items for Odisha market are purchased from Kolkata. Now, idols made of smooth Plaster of Paris from other states are available in Odisha and that is why the demand for earthen idols is falling, Karunakar bemoaned.
“Artisans in other states get government support, but it is not happening in Odisha,” he noted.
PNN