Bolpur, Birbhum, is the home of an idol maker who will construct an 8-foot tall idol of goddess Durga ahead of Durga Pujo’s arrival on Mahalaya day. This idol will be delivered to Orissa in time for Durga Pujo. Ashian Ghosh, a former student and professor of art at Visva-Bharati University, has been working on the sacred Durga idol since February. He has a 10-member team to do the job.
In Birbhum, Ashish’s Kopaiya clay workshop is about to wrap up its work. Brass, bronze, and copper will be used to make the idol. In a conversation with artist Priyak Dutt, Ashish said no industrial materials were used in the creation of this sacred idol, adding that it is all handmade. According to Ashish, the Durga idol may have cost over Rs 3 lakh to make, and it weighs approximately three quintals.
The idol was made without the use of any industrial materials. All of its parts were handcrafted. The plan is to get more work for the Bengali artists in the city. The cost of making the idol, including raw materials, labor days, and travel expenses, is more than Rs 3 lakh. Furthermore, Ashish said that the idea to make Durga idols came to him just by chance. After that, he discussed and planned the idea with his team before getting to work.
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The uninitiated may recall that last year, during the Covid-19 outbreak, an idol maker from Kumartuli shipped Durga’s fiberglass idols overseas. Australia, Germany, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom have received idols he has made. Kaushik was the first artist from Kumartuli to send his work overseas during the pandemic. Kumartuli is a potters’ quarter located in north Kolkata.
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