Tuesday, September 06, 2005

India's love for Made-in-China gods defines era

For centuries, devout Indian Hindus have said their daily prayers before images of their favourite gods carved out of metal or clay by village craftsmen.

Nowadays, factories in agnostic, communist China are producing Ganesha, Krishna and other Hindu idols out of plastic and porcelain at such low costs and high quality that Indians are lapping them up.

India's newfound love for mass-produced, "Made in China" images of their gods is driving many in the poorest sections of the nation's traditional idol-making industry out of business, repeating a pattern seen in its toy-making industry

www.nzherald.co.nz
www.hindustantimes.com