Officials seal work shop with 262 plaster of paris Vinayaka idols sealed

Tirunelveli work shop with 262 Plaster of Paris Vinayaka idols sealed by officials. Ban on making and using Plaster of Paris idols strictly imposed. Makers in a fix as idols worth ₹17 lakh can't be sold. Officials urged to show mercy and allow sale of idols this year.

A work shop with 262 Plaster of Paris Vinayaka idols was sealed by officials on Palayamkottai outskirts. They had made it clear that only idols made with clay will be allowed.

Though the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s decade-old order clarifies that the clay idols and coated with harmless dyes are only allowed for immersion in water bodies for Vinayaka Chathuthi celebrations, the official machinery used to turn a blind eye in enforcing this order. Subsequently, the Plaster of Paris idols would also be taken-out in procession and immersed in the water bodies. The undissolved parts of the idols could be seen lying along the watercourse of the river and also on the beaches for several days.

When officals strictly enforced the ban on the Plaster of Paris statues this year, the makers are in a fix. An artists from Rajasthan, Mottaram, makes Vinayaka idols in Palayamkottai for Vinayaka Chathurthi for the past 25 years which would be supplied to various southern districts and Kerala. He has been caught in confusion as 262 Plaster of Paris idols in various sizes cannot be sold to his customers.

“The officials, who do not strictly impose the clay idol restriction in the past, would usually allow us to sell the Plaster of Paris statues to our customers. After selling around 100 statues, we now have 262 statues, worth about ₹17 lakh, in our workshop at Kiruba Nagar on Palayamkottai outskirts. Of this, 150 idols have been made following orders from our customers. We beg the officials to allow us to sell the idols only this year as we’ll not violate the norm next year or even permanently close down our unit in Palayamkottai to return to Rajasthan. If the officials do not allow us to sell the Plaster of Paris idols we’ve made this year, we’ll be in deep trouble. The District Collector should show us mercy and save our family for one last time,” said Dhanram, son of Mr. Mottaram.

While admitting that the clay idols are eco-friendly, Mr. Dhanram says that 10-feet-tall idols could not be made with clay. “We can make up to two-feet-tall clay idols. The life of clay idols is very small as it will only last a few days. If 10-feet-tall clay idols are made, the Plaster of Paris coat should be given to make the idols stronger with longer life,” says Mr. Dhanram.

As the restriction on making and using the Plaster of Paris idols for this year’s celebrations have been strictly imposed, the Tirunelveli Corporation officials have started erecting tin sheets around the workshop where all 262 idols are for sale. “The work shop is sealed as it has the idols made with banned substance,” a Corporation official said.