Bringing to life a Durga idol is a labour

4 Oct 2008, 0228 hrs IST, Tanvi,TNN
NEW DELHI: One more day to Durga Puja. Artisans, who have spent the last few months in the city, are busy giving finishing touches to idols. On Su
nday evening, the idol will be "brought to life" a ritual called bodhon. Times City takes you through the intriguing and painstakingly detailed exercise of the making of an idol.

The effort that goes into carving out fine details and infusing life into the idol is overwhelming, with most renowned artisans coming from families, who have been in the profession for several generations. Subir Pal heads a team of 15 artisans (all from Kolkata) and is supplying the idol to 30 pujas this year in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and all the way to Jaipur. Says Pal, "The soil used for forming the idol's ornaments and other decorative pieces called "Sola" is procured from the banks of the Ganges. It is milky white and considered pure. Besides, it binds firmly."

The flamboyant and meticulous decoration, worn by the deity, is known as "Daker Saaj". Debashis Saha, head of the organising committee at Safdarjung's Matri Mandir, explains the history behind the concept of "Daker Saaj": "In earlier days, all decorative material used to be brought in maal gaadis (goods train) via post. Hence, it came to be known as "Daaker Saaj", meaning the sajaavat which comes through daak (mail/post)."

Another traditional artisan Manik Pal, based in Tughlaqabad, has made small idols for homes as well as gigantic ones over 25 feet in height for various Kalibaris. He says: "We get the ornaments, drapes and colours, which are used in the making of the deity from Kolkata every year. This is only to make the idols look as authentic."

Manik adds: "We form the pratimas according to the 'Ek-Chala' style, with the Goddess and her four children all in one frame, known as 'Chal-Chitra'. This year, the trend has started moving away from the flashy arrangements back to the simple-styled 'Ek-Chalas'."

Significantly, since the Goddess is immersed in the Yamuna on Mahadasami, use of chemicals is completely out of question for these artisans. "We make use of natural colours, obtained from flowers. The black colour for painting the eyes is the soot from the lamp. For putting together the entire structure we either use natural glue or dough made from wheat flour," adds Subir.

And, this piece of art does not come cheap by any means. With most puja samitis boasting of huge budgets, running into lakhs of rupees, the costs of the idols too ranges from a modest Rs 15,000 to a lavish Rs 1 lakh plus.

Interestingly, Kolkata has, over the last few years, witnessed many changes in the idol's design and structure with some pandals even sporting the face of female movie-stars and politicians as the Goddess. In Delhi, however, puja pandals have never contemplated moving away from the traditional style. Suman Chatterjee, secretary of the Navapalli Puja Samiti in CR Park, says: "This kind of experimentation with new forms of the idol, almost diametrically opposite to tradition, has never happened here. We are still very orthodox and don't want to diverge from the old charm."

For the Bengali community in the city, it is an occasion to showcase their culture and introduce it to the younger generations. "Delhi, for us, is a home away from home. Through these four days, we get to connect to our roots and our homeland," says Amlan Das, treasurer of the Timarpur Civil Lines Puja Samiti, which is celebrating its 95 years on this Durga Puja.

Das further says: "In this environment of communal tension, it is also important to convey the message of harmony and brotherhood through the festival. We have planned to devote one corner of the pandal, where we will have peace messages. We will encourage our local budding artists to pull out their thoughts through paintings and sculptures." source: times of india