In Golden Telangana dream several youth artisans are making gods in thier seasonal time as a short profession for their livelihoods as unemployment peaks in this new state of India. Find out what people in a few professions where opportunities for workers change as per the demand feel about their job or the lack of it.
For seasonal professions, there are two seasons a year – one is the season of festivals, and the other is the rest of the year. People who pursue a few professions have to keep waiting for those particular months of the year to make money. Rakhi makers, kite and manja makers, Pothurajus, and haleem vendors, for instance. Most of them change their profession according to the season, and survive the rest of the year with whatever money they make during festivals.
Among those occupations that come into picture during this particular season of Bonalu is Potharaju whose presence enlivens the mood of the festival at temples. Gyaneshwar, a Potharaju from Saidabad who is carrying on his family tradition, has been performing since five years. He works as Potharaju for three months and for the rest of the year he has to find some odd job or the other.
“I used to work in a printing press at Gowliguda, but for Bonalu I had to resign. This circle keeps repeating every year. Every year, I take up a job but have to resign during Bonalu. However, to keep my family tradition alive, I learn the feats from our gurus and perform it during Bonalu festival all over Telangana,” says the 22-year-old who discontinued his Intermediate due to family problems.
Similarly, idol makers come into light during Ganesh Chaturthi and Dasara. With Ganesh Chaturthi less than two months away, idol makers are working away with renewed energy to give a shape to the elephant God. With Plaster of Paris (POP) in various stages of preparation, coconut husk and colours line the narrow maze of roads, one can see artisans racing against time to complete the sculptures. However, after the festive season, they search for an alternative job such as driving an auto, or working as a labourer at construction sites.
We probably never saw a tailor being jobless. But, surprisingly, there are also tailors in the market who stitch clothes in bundles during a particular season. These tailors come into play during certain times when school uniforms, t-shirts for corporate firms, and flags, banners and shirts for political parties need to get stitched in bulk.
Venkat, a tailor who works for Zeno Industries in Bowenpally, sounds confident about his job when he says, “We have projects most of the time, in June we stitch school and college uniforms, and later corporate uniforms, table covers and uniforms for hotels, sportswear and t-shirts. Since I work through an industry, I do not face any major problem to find a project. But, people who work individually find it tough to get such contracts on a regular basis.” #KhabarLive
