Temple artisans await pension

The New Indian Express, Thursday March 15 2007 13:00 IST

NAYAGARH: For the temple artisans of Odgaon area of the district, art and culture have no boundaries. They are not only in demand in Orissa but also in other states including Jammu and Kashmir.

But back home they are not as lucky.

One of them is Golak Maharana who has constructed more than 25 temples in a span of 20 years.

He recently returned from Jammu where he has been engaged in construction of Jagannath temple and Shiva temple at Sundarbani in Rajouri district.

He will go back to J&K to finish the structures after the winter season.

Hailing from a family of temple artisans, Golak was the head artisan of the famous Shiva temple at Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district, which has been built in accordance with 'Vastu Shastra' at Rs 50 lakh.

But 70-year-old Sribatsa Maharana of Masabari village is not fortunate like Golak. He has been running from pillar to post in order to avail his artist pension for several years, but in vain.

There are around 80 temple artisans in Nayagarh district whose daily wage ranges between Rs 150 and Rs 300 and most of them work on contract basis.

Barring a few, many artists do not have landed property and cannot work as daily labourers either, said Sribatsa Maharana, a highly skilled artisan of Masabari village. He alleged that his efforts to get artist pension, for the past several years, have gone in vain but less skilled workers have managed to get the same.

Another artist of Madhyakhanda village in Daspalla urged the Government to create a welfare fund for temple artisans.