Business picks up in Mymensingh
Idol artisans in Mymensingh have been witnessing better times and they are hoping to earn a good profit this year due to an increased number of clients and fair price.
While visiting some idol-making workplaces in the city and its outskirts, artisans were seen working round the clock as Durga Puja is now just days away.
"We are currently trying to get the painting done," said Joyonta Kumar Ghosh, a prominent artisan in Mymensingh city.
Joyonta, also the proprietor of Mritt O Mrittika, said he got orders for 20 idols from Mymensingh city and the rate for each idol is between Tk 20,000 and Tk 60,000.
One can trace the relief on the artisans' faces after getting more orders to bounce back on, after facing a serious financial crisis during the pandemic.
"The price of necessary items for making idols has increased compared to the previous years. Thankfully, the price of the idols has also increased proportionally, which gives us hope," said Shambhu Das, proprietor of Sajib Mrittika Shilpalaya on Rambabu Road.
Eighty-three-year-old Nikhil Chandra Pal at Dharmashala Temple said the Covid-19 pandemic left workers starved, compelling many of them to switch their professions to survive.
"This year, workers are getting around Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 in three months from their ancestral profession and it is a satisfactory amount for them," he added.
The number of mandaps has also increased from 784 to 814 this year in Mymensingh, said Shankar Saha, organising secretary of the Zilla Puja Utjapon Parishad.
At a meeting on September 12, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Enamul Haque and Police Superintendent Masum Ahmed Bhuiyan assured them of strict security measures for mandaps, said puja organisers.
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