In the fading light of the makeshift studio at Bhupesh Nagar tucked away in a dark congested alley near Gokul theatre, Ganeshas are being created in all shapes, sizes and avatars. There is one reminiscent of Tirupati Venkateswara Swamy and in another the elephant-headed God, complete with a six-pack, does a tandav like Shiva. Impervious to his surroundings, Binoy Pal stands on a ladder painting the eyes of an idol with fierce concentration. Around him, rows of clay Ganeshas stand silently. Wearing a mud-spattered kurta, Binoy looks annoyed at the interruption by a group of teenagers who are there to choose an idol for the round-the-corner Ganesh Chaturthi. “We have to keep a constant eye on people who come here. They walk about carelessly and disturb the paint on these freshly-coated idols,” says the idol-maker as he resumes work. At another dimly-lit corner of the workshop, his friend Poltu is busy negotiating with customers. Ganesh Chaturthi has gathered everyone in its grip.
Eco-friendly
Binoy and Poltu are from Kumartuli, where for years the Ganges clay has fashioned idols for the faithful. Leaving their families behind, the two along with their team of 18 workers arrived here in June to mould clay into 200 Ganesha idols. The Kumartuli clay lends a finer finish to the idols. Completely eco-friendly, the clay is also mixed withbamboo, jute and dried-up hay. As the festival nears, the tempo of work increases. Binoy is worried about the active monsoon. Only the other day their workshop was flooded and they incurred a lot of loss. To add to their woes, the orders this year haven’t been particularly encouraging. According to him, many organisations are scaling down their festivities as a gesture of support for flood-affected Kerala. “We have more than 60 idols that are still unsold . Usually, a month before the festival every idol is booked,” he adds worriedly. The size of the clay idols, too, has come down from 11 feet last year to eight feet this year.
The themes and avatars of the idols, predictably, are inspired from popular culture. The artistes find their ideas on social media and the demands of the clients. For instance, Telugu cinema is hugely popular.
Themes and avatars
“Last year, the Baahubali theme was all the craze, ” says Binoy. During the election years, the idols also take on a political flavour. “In contrast to this, the Durga idols we make have retained the same ethnic touch over the years,” he says.
Binoy and Poltu have trained many youngsters, who came along with them from Kolkata. Some of them have now set up their own workshops at different places in the city like Marripalem and Baji Junction. But few have the deep connection that they do with local organisers and Bengali associations in the city.
Once Ganesh Chaturthi ends, the Bengali artistes will get busy with the Durga idols. And it is only after Dasami - the last day of Dasara - that the team will head home with their paraphernalia.
