A person sells idols at Shyam Mandir in Patna City. Picture by Sachin

Patna, Oct. 21: Residents of the state capital can get idols of gods and goddesses made by famous artists of Calcutta, Benaras and Lucknow in their hometown this Diwali.

Many citizens are making a beeline to the Shyam Mandir area in Patna City to pick up glittering idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh. They claim these idols, sold usually by traders from Bakhtiyarpur, are more attractive than the ones made locally.

“For the past couple of years, I have been buying idols from the Bakhtiyarpur sellers. They are more attractive and less expensive,” said Rajiv Kumar, one of the buyers.

Sellers claimed they have been making a quick buck and have sold idols worth Rs 1 crore this year. In fact, most of them have exhausted their stock and gone back home.

Suresh Prasad, one of the Bakhtiyarpur-based idol sellers still in Patna, told The Telegraph: “I have sold 70 per cent of the idols I had brought. I am just waiting to sell off my stock.”

Explaining the reasons for attracting more customers, Prasad said: “Artists of Benaras, Lucknow and Calcutta are well known for their craftsmanship. The idols we buy from them are better made. These idols have better features and are more attractive.

“They are also not priced too high. Depending on their size you can get idols priced between Rs 4 and Rs 1,200.”

Now everyone, however, agrees with these sellers and their customers. Local idol-sellers are naturally not too happy with the increased competition.

Asked why their Bakhtiyarpur counterparts were doing good business, Mahaveer Prasad, a local idol seller, said: “Their idols are very cheap. Ours are a bit expensive. But our idols are more beautiful.”

Prasad said: “We sell our wares not only in Bihar but also export them to Bhopal, Siliguri, Ranchi and Assam, and Kathmandu in Nepal.”

Conducting their business, however, is not without trouble. Prasad said they often have to put up with the hostile attitude of local businessmen, their wares are stolen and strongmen of the area extort money from them.