Statue resembling CM Mamata with 10 hands set to share pandal space with Goddess Durga

The decision, however, has had the Bharatiya Janata Party fuming with senior party leaders saying that it is an insult to the Goddess and hurts the sentiments of Hindus.

A statue resembling West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, with ten arms akin to that of Goddess Durga, will be placed along with the idol of the Goddess at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata.

Puja organisers said that unlike the Goddess, who holds weapons in her ten hands, Mamata Banerjee’s idol would hold logos and names of various schemes launched by her government, which returned to power for the third consecutive term this May in Bengal. (Crowdnxt Media Art .)

The life-size statue would not just resemble the chief minister but would also have the same height (5’4”) as her, organisers said. It won’t be worshipped though.

“Idols of the Goddess and her entire family will be there. We will worship the clay idol of Goddess Durga as usual. It is just that our theme for this year is Tumi Bhorsha (You are the hope), so we are creating a statue of Mamata Banerjee,” said Indranath Bagui, president of Nazrul Park Unnayan Samity.

The decision, however, has had the Bharatiya Janata Party fuming with senior party leaders saying that it is an insult to the Goddess and hurts the sentiments of Hindus.

“This deification of Mamata Banerjee, who has blood of innocent Bengalis on her hands, following the gruesome post-poll violence in Bengal, is nauseating. This is an insult to Goddess Durga. Mamata Banerjee must stop this. She is hurting the sensibilities of Hindus of Bengal,” tweeted Amit Malviya, national head of the BJP’s IT cell.

The TMC, however, has shot back saying that there is no harm if someone shows respect to woman-power.

“The BJP won’t understand such sentiments because they worship Nathuram Godse. What is the harm if someone respects women power?” asked Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson and the party’s state general secretary.

Puja organisers said that unlike the Goddess, who holds weapons in her ten hands, Mamata Banerjee’s idol would hold logos and names of various schemes launched by her government, which returned to power for the third consecutive term this May in Bengal.

“She would be holding placards and logos of various government welfare schemes such as Kanyasree, Ruposree, and Lakshmir Bhandar among others in her hands,” said Bagui.

The puja organizers said that at least two other local puja committees have joined hands with them during the pandemic to come up with the pandal. This is their 38th year and the total budget would be around three lakh rupees.

The organisers said that they have already sent an invitation to Banerjee through the local legislator to inaugurate the puja. The chief minister inaugurates dozens of pujas every year. Last year most of them were inaugurated virtually because of the pandemic.

This is, however, not the first time that a puja committee has made such efforts – making statues of Mamata Banerjee and keeping them in the pandal.

In 2016, a puja committee in Bhawanipore, the traditional assembly seat of Banerjee, kept an idol resembling her in the pandal. A few years back a puja committee in Nadia district’s Chakdah also made similar efforts where the face of the Goddess resembled the chief minister. In 2017, a puja committee had come up with a statue of Mamata Banerjee which was taller than the Goddess, triggering a controversy.

“Work on the idol has already started and the model is complete. As it will be a statue of fiberglass it will not be sent for immersion. The organisers will keep it with them,” said Mintu Pal, the 54-year-old who is making the idol at his workshop in Kumortuli, Kolkata’s idol making district.