Idol artisans busy as Durga Puja nears

Idols makers at different places across the country are passing busy time as Sharodiya Durga Puja Utsab, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindus, is only a few days away.

The celebrations will start on October 4 with Maha Sashthi and end with Bijoya Dashami on October 8 with the immersion of idols in rivers and canals.

Our Mymensingh Correspondent reports: Artisans at different mandaps in Mymensingh city and other places of the district are giving the finishing touches to idols ahead of Durga Puja.

An artisan gives finishing touches to an idol in Jubilee Ghat area of Mymensingh city. Photo: Star

“We have already completed making earthen idols. Now we are doing painting and other related works to make the idols ready for supplying to the clients,” said Bidhan Pal, a worker at Dharmashala Temple in Jubilee Ghat area of the city.

Several workers said they engage in making idols for three to four months a year and paid Tk 15,000 to Tk 20,000 per month each.

Sanjoy Das, an artisan in city’s Kalibari area, said he got more orders this year as the number of puja mandaps has increased.

“We are taking Tk 2000 to Tk 3000 for every idol this year as the cost of materials has risen,” said Joyonta Kumar Ghosh, a leading artisan in Mymensingh and proprietor of ‘Mritt O Mrittika’.

“We continue this ancestral business not only for economic gains but also as devotion for this art work,” he said.

Shankar Saha, organising secretary of the district’s puja celebration committee, said 773 puja mandaps will be set up in the district this year.

“We have already held several meetings with administration, police and city corporation authorities and they assured us of tight security measures during the celebration. We are satisfied with the measures,” he said.

Mymensingh Superintendent of Police Shah Abid Hossain said a full-proof security measure has been taken in the district to ensure safety of puja mandaps and the devotees and police teams are visiting the mandaps every day.

Our Faridpur Correspondent adds: Preparations for Durga Puja celebrations are going on in full swing in Faridpur.

Visiting puja mandaps at Chalk Bazar, Old Bus Stand, Jiltuli, Ramkrishna Mission and Dhopadanga village, this correspondent found that the structures of the idols are complete and sculptors are doing the painting work.

Sukesh Saha, general secretary of the district’s puja celebration committee, said Durga Puja will be held at 750 mandaps in nine upazilas of Faridpur.

At least 250 idols will be set up at the Durga mandap of Jasoda Jibon Devnath’s house in Dhopadanga village under Faridpur Sadar upazila this year. 

“We are trying to make one of the largest mandaps in our country with 250 idols as my mother told me to do so. The idols will represent the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata,” said Jasoda Jibon Devnath.

“We have been working for two months here and hope to complete the work before Maha Sashthi,” said Proloy Biswas, 30, a craftsman working at the mandap of Jasoda Jibon’s house.

Md Alimuzzaman, superintendent of police in Faridpur, said, “We have already taken adequate security measures. Ansar members and local volunteers will work with police teams to ensure safety during the Durga Puja celebrations.”