Ahead of the Janmashtami festival, markets across India experience a massive surge in demand for outfits, swings, thrones, and decorative accessories for Laddoo Gopal. For Ankur Kumar, a resident of Ambehta Peer in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, this devotional season holds double significance. Once struggling to make ends meet through traditional furniture making, Ankur used leftover scrap wood from his workshop to craft a modest swing for his family deity. That single creation transformed his family fortunes. Today, his dedicated craft unit produces handcrafted beds, thrones, and swings for Kanha Ji, generating monthly earnings in the lakhs.
Financial Struggles in Carpentry and the Pivotal Pilgrimage
For years, Ankur Kumar worked alongside his father running a traditional furniture workshop. Despite hard manual labor, the earnings were barely sufficient to cover basic household expenses. Deeply religious, the family embarked on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan seven years ago, returning home with an idol of Laddoo Gopal. Upon bringing the deity home, the family wanted a suitable resting seat for the idol. Unable to spend heavily on commercial market items, Ankur decided to leverage his woodworking skills to create something custom at home.
Crafting the First Deity Swing from Workshop Scrap
Gathering unused wood pieces, plywood scraps, cloth remnants, and decorative elements lying idle in his carpentry shop, Ankur designed a custom throne and swing. Visiting neighbors and relatives were struck by the intricate craftsmanship and aesthetic appeal of the piece. Impressed by the quality, several neighbors requested Ankur to make similar swings for their household deities. Ankur agreed and delivered the crafted items. Word of mouth quickly spread throughout the locality, triggering a steady stream of incoming requests for thrones, beds, and decorative stands.
Pivoting Away from Traditional Furniture to a Full-Time Brand
Realizing the immense commercial potential and spiritual satisfaction in crafting deity accessories, Ankur and his family made a decisive strategic shift. They shut down their unviable standard furniture business entirely and converted their workshop into a specialized unit dedicated to manufacturing Laddoo Gopal accessories. For the past six years, they have operated this venture full-time. Today, peak seasonal demand reaches levels where the entire family, working together, finds it challenging to fulfill all incoming orders. Their customer base has expanded far beyond Saharanpur into major distribution hubs like Rishikesh, Delhi, Karnal, and surrounding regional markets.
Product Range, Raw Materials, and Pricing Structure
Ankur Kumar offers a wide array of designs tailored to different idol sizes and customer budgets. The manufactured swings and thrones range from compact 7-inch models to elaborate structures measuring up to 3 to 4 feet in height. The craftsmanship incorporates durable wood, sturdy plywood, fine fabrics, ornamental mirrors, and decorative beading work. To keep products accessible, pricing starts at a modest Rs 150 for basic units and goes up to Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 for large, premium designs. Ahead of major festival cycles, virtually all stock is booked well in advance by retail buyers and devotees.
