Chennai, Sep 3 Traditional artisans in Kancheepuram are facing a severe livelihood crisis after thousands of 'golu dolls', worth several crores of rupees, remain unsold due to the recent 50 per cent additional import duty imposed by the US.
Every year, Indian families living abroad, particularly in the US, place bulk orders for the golu dolls during Navaratri to recreate the festive atmosphere of home. But this year, the steep duty has discouraged purchases, leaving artisans in Tamil Nadu struggling with stockpiles of unsold products.
Around 50 families across four streets near the historic Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kancheepuram have been engaged in golu doll-making for four to five generations. The craft is their sole livelihood, with dolls traditionally sold across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala.
In recent decades, exports to the US, Canada, Germany, and the UK have provided crucial income, with the US standing out as the largest overseas market.
“NRIs in the US always placed bulk orders for Navaratri. The income from foreign buyers is much higher than domestic sales. This year, because of the additional import duty, people are hesitant to order, and our sales have crashed,” said a doll maker.
To make matters worse, courier and postal services to the US have suspended shipments, leaving consignments stranded in Kancheepuram.
With Navaratri approaching, thousands of dolls, painstakingly crafted over months, are piled up in workshops and storerooms. For these artisans, festival seasons like Krishna Jayanthi, Vinayaka Chaturthi, and Navaratri usually bring the bulk of their annual earnings.
The sudden disruption has left them in deep financial distress. Many fear that without urgent intervention, their centuries-old tradition of doll-making could fade away. The artisans have appealed to both the state and the Central governments for support. They urged government-run handicraft bodies to purchase dolls in bulk to rescue their unsold stock and called for subsidies similar to those given to fishermen during the annual fishing ban.
“Navaratri is around the corner, and we are sitting with unsold dolls worth crores. Without help, we don’t know how to survive,” lamented one artisan, summing up the uncertainty clouding their future.
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