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Dull days for doll-makers

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

Rural art: People taking a look at the dolls displayed on the sidewalks of Mission Street in Puducherry.

PUDUCHERRY: As colourful and intricately designed dolls decorate the sidewalks of Puducherry for ‘Masi Maham,’ it has turned out to be a dull season for a large number of doll-makers here.

Low sales and zero profits have disappointed the doll-makers who have thronged Puducherry from various parts of Panruti in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

But the scenario has been the same for the last three years as devotees and tourists have lost interest in buying dolls, the doll-makers said.

“We come to Puducherry during ‘Masi Maham’ for two to three days.

But the sales have been extremely dull this year. Even the crowd seems to be less than before,” said Vijaya Kumar, a doll-maker from Vaiyapuripattinam in Panruti, 40 km away from Puducherry.

According to him, the dolls sell like hot cakes only during Navaratri. During the rest of the year, the doll-makers end up stocking what is available.

“There are 25 families in Vaiyapuripattinam involved in doll-making business. We do not know any other work except this. But we earn very little from these sales,” he added.

A two-foot clay statue was priced at Rs. 100, while small ceramic dolls were sold at Rs. 10 to 20.

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