With the festival fast approaching, residents of Kumbargeri were seen busily making idols different sizes and painting them. Kumbargeri has a century old history of making ganesha idols. The livelihood of most of the families residing here depend on making idols. In their small, sloping tiled houses they manage to do everything. They follow certain customs even today, like having a bath before they start working on the idols and stopping the entire work if somebody demises in the house.
There was a time when Kumbargeri was famous for making of Ganesh idols with about 170 houses, but at present there are only about 36 houses and the number is declining year after year.
Following the trend, artisans are bringing in new designs and making the idols colourful. But overall there is a decline in the sale of these idols. This year the sales have been severely affected as more number of street-side artisans have also started making Ganesha idols.
`We work day and night making Ganesha without using moulds, but people want idols which are attractive and that come in bright colours and of different shapes,' says Rekha resident of Kumbargeri.
Venkat Lakshmi said that `one day this art might also come to an end. As making idols has come from our ancestors period we do want to opt for any other field and we have a special attachment towards this. But we do want our children to continue this work.'
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