Durga idol made of 51,000 rudraksh beads

Among the chants of hymns and the lighting of 108 lamps, the first day of Navratras presented an auspicious site at Geeta Mandir, Vikas Nagar, where an idol of Goddess Durga made using 51,000 Rudraksh beads and 1,100 peacock feathers was unveiled on Tuesday.

Among the chants of hymns and the lighting of 108 lamps, the first day of Navratras presented an auspicious site at Geeta Mandir, Vikas Nagar, where an idol of Goddess Durga made using 51,000 Rudraksh beads and 1,100 peacock feathers was unveiled on Tuesday.

HT Image

"Rama Kant, an artist from Bihar, was especially called to make this idol and it is the first of its kind in Punjab. Two years back, we made an idol using 501 coconut shells. However, this time I got the idea of using Rudraksh beads from the idol I saw during my visit to Shirdi," said Pardeep Dhall, general secretary, Geeta Mandir, talking to HT.

The beads used in making the idol have been purchased from Haridwar. The seller there got the beads on special order from Nepal, said Dhall. He added that the Rudraksh used were panch-mukhi, meaning five-pointed, and ayurvedic sciences suggested many benefits of these beads.

Dhall added: "The idol will remain in perfect condition for a minimum two years. However, the trust will ensure continuous maintenance to ensure that the idol is preserved for an even longer period."