Durga Puja festivities have come alive in the city once again. With over 21 lakh Bengali residents in the city (as of 2021), the festival is finding itself in quite a confluence of traditional and modern ways of celebration. Idol makers, too, share that this year has seen quite a rise in orders for Goddess Durga idols.
Tarun Pal, an artisan from West Bengal, shares, “A lot of people who didn’t celebrate the festival last time are celebrating this year. The orders have increased this year.” Pal, who sells idols of all sizes, further adds, “We have idols of all kinds of sizes this year. They begin at ₹20,000 and can go up to around ₹5 lakh, depending on the decor and size. The tallest idol we’ve made this year is 14 foot high!”
Decor elements for pandals have also been gaining popularity. Shola, or Indian cork, a white substance with a sponge-like texture, found in wetlands such as those in West Bengal, is in demand, shares Sayan Pal, another idol maker. He adds that artisans arrived from West Bengal three months ago to begin preparations for the festival.
Telling us about their pandal, Priyanka Roy, media head, Bengali Association for the Residents of HSR Layout and Sarjapur Road (BARSHA), says, “We wanted to create an environment that is inclusive of all cultures but is a nod to the traditional Bengali-style celebration. We’ve got local artisans to create Greek-style architecture. We chose that specifically as the Greeks have a very strong sense of art that aligns well with that of Bengal’s style. The idol is sourced from West Bengal-based artisans. Our idol will be decorated with around 40kg of ornaments made of gold and shola and she will be wearing a crown that is 4.5 feet high.”
{{/usCountry}}Telling us about their pandal, Priyanka Roy, media head, Bengali Association for the Residents of HSR Layout and Sarjapur Road (BARSHA), says, “We wanted to create an environment that is inclusive of all cultures but is a nod to the traditional Bengali-style celebration. We’ve got local artisans to create Greek-style architecture. We chose that specifically as the Greeks have a very strong sense of art that aligns well with that of Bengal’s style. The idol is sourced from West Bengal-based artisans. Our idol will be decorated with around 40kg of ornaments made of gold and shola and she will be wearing a crown that is 4.5 feet high.”
{{/usCountry}}It isn’t just the decor. BARSHA is taking it up a notch with the events as well. “We have a special laser show that will showcase Chandrayaan-3’s journey to the moon, with voice-over from ISRO scientists that worked on the mission,” says Roy, adding that the association has veteran multihyphenate Anjan Dutt flying in from Kolkata to perform for us.”
Chinmoy Mete, vice-president of Kaggadasapura Bengali Association, talks about their 17th celebration of the festival this year and says, “We’re opting for a traditional style with terracotta as the hero. For the idol, we’re opting for less gold and going for imitation jewellery made of materials like shola. We will make gold offerings to the idol as a ritual, too.” Speaking of the activities, Mete shares, “We have a lot in store this year. From food stalls to live performances and theatre and more, we have something for everyone. Local cuisine, talents from Kolkata and Bengaluru, such as singer Sinchan Dixit, and more, will be part of our pandal this year.”