Much demand for golu dolls despite surge in prices
Sales were dull in the initial days of Navaratri, as golu dolls were expensive due to a surge in the price of raw materials.
Representative image (File)
CHENNAI: The last day of Navaratri is here but golu dolls are continuing to fly off the shelves despite a dull start to the festival.
Sales were dull in the initial days of Navaratri, as golu dolls were expensive due to a surge in the price of raw materials.
Doll sellers opined that there weren’t many new customers this year. “Mostly, it was repeat-customers; those who purchased last year and few more were people who participated in the golu contests,” said a shop owner.
Most of them were senior citizens who expected prices to be around Rs 30 or Rs 50, which was the case a decade ago. “Customers expected the prices to be low each year. So, the sales were not high as expected and we were disappointed. By selling dolls at lower prices, we don’t get any profit because we have to pay rent, electricity bills and salary for the labourers too,” explained VK Dhanajayan, proprietor of Ambi Golu dolls shop at Nesapakkam.
The shop has several varieties of dolls which have arrived exclusively for Navaratri this year such as Iskcon founder Prabhupada idol in fibre, Narthana Navaneetha Kannan made of paper. “Due to the golu contest this year, dolls related to the theme of Mahabharata sold faster than other dolls which were on Ramayana, social awareness, and deities,” he added.
Prices of Golu dolls have increased by 20-25% as the price of raw materials such as clay, paint and decorative items had surged. A medium-sized doll that sold for Rs 500 last year costs Rs 750 now, and a big-sized doll increased to Rs 1,500 from Rs 950.
M Vidya, who works at a retail doll store at T Nagar, stated: “During the pandemic-induced lockdown, many artists lost their livelihoods and had to go back to their hometown to pursue other works. Most of them never returned which resulted in shortage in skilled manpower.” There is a demand for artists who paint and decorate golu dolls but their wages have increased drastically. “Even the production has decreased in the last two years,” added Vidya.