Meghana Sastry

Photojournalist

meghanasastry.visura.co

Artists struggle during the pandemic

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Location: Bangalore, India

Nationality: Indian

Biography: Meghana Sastry is a photojournalist from Bangalore, the silicon valley of India . She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication. With a passion for storytelling, she is a well known for her tenacity and photo stories coupled with... MORE

Every year artists from West Be...he livelihood of these artists.

1 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

Every year artists from West Bengal make Bengaluru their home for 4 months. However, 2020 has been different. Due to the ongoing pandemic most sheds are shut and very few artists have been flown into the city. As instructed by the local authorities, idols could not exceed 4 feet in height and all of these factors together hit the livelihood of these artists.

With no electricity an artist i...ew orders that came in, in 2020

2 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

With no electricity an artist is holding a torch to finish the few orders that came in, in 2020

An artist finishes decorating t...o make sale and make ends meet.

3 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

An artist finishes decorating the idols of Durga that have dried. With very few orders and lots of restrictions of the size of the idols and more, these artists hope to make sale and make ends meet.

Artists finish decorating the i...o make sale and make ends meet.

4 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

Artists finish decorating the idols of Durga that have dried. With very few orders and lots of restrictions of the size of the idols and more, these artists hope to make sale and make ends meet.

An artist finishes decorating t...o make sale and make ends meet.

5 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

An artist finishes decorating the idols of Durga that have dried. With very few orders and lots of restrictions of the size of the idols and more, these artists hope to make sale and make ends meet.

Finishing what the family start...ke sale and pay off their loans

6 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

Finishing what the family started a year ago with no idea on how to make sale and pay off their loans

A little girl joins the family ...ths due to the ongoing pandemic

7 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

A little girl joins the family in painting these idols as she her school has been shutdown for months due to the ongoing pandemic

Finishing what the family start...ke sale and pay off their loans

8 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

Finishing what the family started a year ago with no idea on how to make sale and pay off their loans

Malliga (56) says that the fami...ve been distributing."

9 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

Malliga (56) says that the family has been in the pottery business for generations and they don't know any other kind of work. Every year, they start making fresh idols soon after the month of dassara by taking loans and are now stuck in a terrible situation not knowing their way out. She said - "how do we repay our loans? We can't even pay the interest amount.We have made 4,000 idols of Ganeshas in total and have taken up spaces in 3 houses. We haven't even or any of our bills for the last 4 months. and wonder when the government will snap the electricity and water supply to our homes. We have nothing to eat and have been surviving on what volunteers have been distributing."

An artist gives finishing touch... to pay off his loans and bills

10 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

An artist gives finishing touches to the idols and hopes he can make sale to pay off his loans and bills

Some artists decide to maintain... makes it difficult to breathe.

11 of 11 © 2024 Meghana Sastry

Some artists decide to maintain distance and avoid masks as wearing for long periods of time makes it difficult to breathe.

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Public Story

Artists struggle during the pandemic

Copyright Meghana Sastry 2024

Updated Jan 2021

Topics Arts, Editorial, Homelessness, Hunger, Loss, Pandemics, Photography, Photojournalism, Poverty, Reporting

Artists eagerly wait for the festival season each year to bear fruits of an entire year's hard work. But 2020 has been cruel. When the unexpected COVID-19 hit the country and lock-down was imposed, they just like everyone else thought it wouldn't last more than a few months and life will return to normal. However, on learning that this pandemic is here to stay for a long time they are left to wonder what the future holds for them as they have seen no sales. They have taken loans just like every year to help them procure materials and keep them going until this period and now are choked. The unexpected Corona has left them hanging. With pending bills and leans to clear, they wonder when the electricity connection and water supply will be snapped. They have been living off the ration distributed to them by volunteers and other organisations.

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