The business of giving life to Durga Maa

For the major part of the year, Dhoolpet area in Old City is infamous for a lot of anti-social activities including sale of illegal drugs and liquor. But just before Ganesh Chaturthi, the area sees a ‘spiritual’ transformation after a bunch of artists start indulging in the pious activity of carving the idols of the Gods and Goddesses.

It is from Dhoolpet where most of the idols for Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja all manufactured and supplied to different parts of the city. Most of the workers who carve the idols come from Maharashtra and the painters and decorators come in huge numbers from Kolkata, just to give the authentic touch and feel to the deity. The labourers and artists stay in the city and work for businessmen, who take care of their food and shelter for their entire period of stay. “Making of Durga idol begins soon after Ganesh Chaturthi. Men, women and children from our family dedicate themselves in what they were taught to do and have been doing (idol making, painting, etc) for many years.

It runs in the family”, says M Rajesh. Each year Goddess Durga is brought to life by the toil of the artisans and idol makers. Preparations for making the idols begin months in advance after most of the artisans come to the city at least four months before the festival. More than 150 idol makers have been working in Dhoolpet alone for the past few decades, making life size idols of the deity. Each idol fetches them about Rs 500 for one foot idol and Rs 15000 or more for a 12 foot idol. A few of the idols are booked days or a month in advance. “The market is gauged depending on how many idols were sold last year and the demand in the market in this season.

Every season, we at least earn about 4 lakh in the whole season for Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja. But this year due to political unrest and other reasons, the business has seen a fall”, says Mukesh Singh, who started selling the idols at the age of 12 and later learnt to make idols. Meanwhile the city is getting decked up for Durga Puja. Most of them have already finalised the preparations including setting up of Durga Puja pandals and buying the best idol from the market. The management committees in every vicinity, just like in the case of Ganesh Chaturthi, have decked up for the celebrations with great enthusiasm and reverence. From charming idols of the Goddess to the religious look and feel at the pandal, everything has been decorated with great care and dedication