By Jaykrishan Yadav
Inaruwa, Jan. 23: We are in the midst of winter. The cold is biting, the days are foggy and the wind feels like it rips through the heart. Yet, that does not make an ounce of difference to sculptors of Inaruwa who wake up early in the morning and get to work.
Some are moulding clay, some fetching water from the nearest pond or well, some are heating the oven while others are making wooden frames. No one even has time to look up at this reporter buzzing around them with his notepad and smartphone.

Sculptors in Inaruwa, Laukahi, Haripur, Harinagar, Chimadi and other urban and rural areas of Sunsari do not have a moment to spare because the festival of Saraswoti Puja is fast approaching.
“This is the busiest time of the year for us,” Manoj Mehta of Inaruwa Municipality–4 said. “We get many orders from teachers and students. Colleges, schools and other educational institutions from all over the district ask us to craft Saraswoti statues for them to worship.”

When asked exactly how many orders, Mehta replied with a slight smile on his face, “Too many to count.”
Artisan Binod Yadav also said that the work load was immense. “Nearly every house in the district has a1 student and almost every student wants an idol of Saraswoti. Schools, too, order multiple statues to hold big functions and ceremonies.”

But he is not complaining. This is one of the few times of the year he and other craftsmen fetch decent prices for their creations. Yadav informed that he earned Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 20,000 per sculpture during this time. “I can earn anywhere between Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 250,000 by selling my creations,” he said.

Several sculptors talking to The Rising Nepal said that they took orders for Saraswoti statues because it helped them earn enough for the rest of the year and also out of a sense of duty to meet the market demands.
Although it is difficult to estimate just how big the market for Saraswoti figurines gets during the time of Saraswoti Puja, artisans believe that it crosses the Rs. 10 million mark.
This year, Saraswoti Puja has fallen on February 6.