A giant idol of Goddess Durga will occupy the centre stage during the Navaratri celebrations of the Bengali community in the city.
Four members of a family of traditional idol makers from the West Midnapore district in West Bengal are working on the idol at Rabindra Bhavan, the office of the Keral Banga Samskriti Sangha (KBSS), at Gandhi Nagar here.
Tapan and his brother Jyothirmaya are working on the idol. Tapan’s wife and daughter are assisting them in decorating the idol, Ranajit Kanjilal, former president of the KBSS and a senior member of the community, said.
The idol, the preparation of which was started almost a month ago, will be completed in a couple of days.
Unlike the previous years, when idols of other gods and goddesses were incorporated in to the main Durga idol, this time around separate idols will be made.
“We will put the main idol of Durga on the platform flanked by separate idols of Lakshmi, Saraswathy, Ganesha and Karthikeya of moderate size,” said Apurva Chatterjee, secretary of KBSS.
A wide range of materials go in to the making of the giant idol. The foundation of the idol will be made up of bamboo and wood to which clay, hay and straw will be applied.
“While clay from local potteries is being used to make the idol, the finishing touches will be given using the clay brought from the River Ganges, as it will give the idol a glistening look,” Mr. Kanjilal said.
Once the basic structure is completed, natural colours will be applied. The idol, when completed, will stand nine to ten feet tall.
Dressed in brightly coloured clothes and adorning a gleaming crown, Durga will be seen standing majestically on a lion and slaying the demon using the choicest of weapons, symbolising the victory of good over evil.
The celebrations will begin on October 20, which marks Maha Sasthi, the sixth day of the Durga Navaratri Puja. The weapons will be placed in the arms of the idol on the same day.
From October 21 to 23, community members will gather at Rabindra Bhavan in the morning and conduct a puja and make floral offerings.
They will then distribute bhog (food offered to the deity and then partaken). Cultural programmes will be staged in the evenings.
On October 24, the Maha Dashami day, the idol will be taken out in a procession from Rabindra Bhavan to Katari Bagh for immersion in the backwaters. Local people can also take part in the festivities.
For more details contact: 96330-21901, 98957-21519, 98950-76921.
