Idols made by UP women jail inmates to be sold on Amazon

The women inmates in Moradabad district jail have received orders from e-commerce giant Amazon for 10,000 Lakshmi-Ganesh idols and diyas using cow dung.
The idols being prepared range from six to sixteen inches. This is a part of an initiative of Dyvigya Care Wellness Foundation that is working towards promoting an eco-friendly environment. According to the jail authorities, both Hindu and Muslim inmates have come together to work for promoting the eco-friendly initiative.

"Opening of bank accounts for these women is in process, so that they can receive their earnings," said the official. "So far, around 2,000 idols and diyas have been made by them," said the jail superintendent.

According to jailor, Mrityunjay Kumar Pandey, the orders received from Amazon will be completed by the inmates in 20 days.

Moradabad district jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said, "Currently, around 20 women inmates have been preparing the idols and diyas, but considering the appreciation and huge demand, more women inmates will be roped in to ensure that the demands are met in time. These items are made using a mixture of cow dung, fuller's earth and a few other ingredients."

He explained that the mixture is then put into moulds and left to dry. Once fully dry, the idols and diyas are painted in vibrant colours.

He further said, "Recently, there has been a huge demand for these idols from Surat. As more and more orders are coming, more inmates will be joining in to prepare these. At present, 130 women inmates are lodged in the jail and of these, 20 have been working on preparing the idols - IANS