The business of making idols has flourished so much that now the work of making idols worth Rs 80 to 90 crores is done here annually.
symbolic picture
An artisan started making idols of Lord Ganesha from clay 100 years ago in Hamrapur in Raigad district of Maharashtra. After this, the work of making the idol here started in such a way that Engineer And the bankers left their jobs and came here and started making idols. Now 3 crore idols are made here every year. The business of making idols has flourished so much that now the work of making idols worth Rs 80 to 90 crores is done here annually. 500 factories have been set up for making idols in the village. Hamrapur is known as the ‘Ganpati Market of India’.
According to the report of Dainik Bhaskar, the demand for Ganpati idols made in Hamrapur village is so high that due to the buyers, there is a jam of one and a half to two km long. The idols are loaded in big trucks outside the village. People come here from cities like Mumbai, Pune to buy idols. The idols of Hamrapur village are not only famous in the country, but it is in demand in many countries including America, Britain, Germany, Australia. From here the idols are sent through planes. More than three crore idols are made in the village on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Engineer turned sculptor!
The work of making idols has also forced people to leave their jobs. Shriram Patil, who worked in Mumbai 10 years ago, set up a factory in his own house. He started making different types of idols in his factory instead of traditional idols. His idols became so famous that orders started coming from abroad. Seeing the progress in his father’s business, his two engineer sons also started helping. He left his best jobs and started making idols. Now these people are earning lakhs of rupees.
Sculptor left bank job
The point to be noted here is that not only engineers are making sculptures here, but bankers have also adopted this work. Satish Sameen, who lived in the neighborhood of Shri Ram, used to work in a bank. But there was such an attachment to the idols that he left his job and returned to the village. The business of making idols went on such that now he earns four times more by making idols than what he used to earn from his bank job. His family also helps in making the idol. A union of sculptors has also been formed in this village, which works for their welfare.
