Orders for theme-based idols of Goddess Durga have dropped sharply this year at Kumartuli, the hub of Kolkata’s idol makers, after the BJP government and Hindu rights organisations called for a return to the traditional form of the deity.
The rest were the traditional forms of the Goddess. “The two forms – theme-based and the traditional (sabeki) – are vastly different. In the theme-based idols, the workload is more and there is more scope for the artisan to show his craftsmanship. The traditional idols strictly adhere to the scriptural rules regarding the Goddess’ posture, facial expressions, colour, weapons and ten arms.
“Artisans at Kumartuli moulded around 7,000–7,500 idols, including small ones up to 12 feet tall, of the Mother Goddess. Around 100 – 150 of them were theme-based idols. This year, however, not more than 10 such theme-based idols are being crafted. The traditional design on the other hand follows the scriptural rules and a set format over decades,” said an artisan who is making 12 big idols this year.
The orders for such idols have dropped drastically this year,” said Babu Pal, secretary of the Kumartuly Mritsilpa Sanskrity Samity, representing the traditional clay idol makers. Theme-based idols deviate from the scriptural rules; artists design them according to a specific theme, changing the posture, expression and portraying the Goddess and her entourage in different settings – to many, this was an example of artistry and of creative interpretation.
The study was commissioned by the state government. The plunge in demand for creative idols came after the new BJP-government in the state and Hindu rights organisations requested puja committees to revert to the classical idol form and issued guidelines on theme-based pujas in the state. The chief minister held a meeting with a few hundred puja organisers from across the state. “The state hasn’t issued any diktat. Only some requests have been made not to distort the figures of the Mother Goddess and her entourage in such a manner that it violates the sanctity.
UNESCO added Durga Puja in Kolkata to its 2021 list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, giving it international recognition. In 2018, the economy of the creative industries associated with the Durga Puja was pegged at ₹ 32,377 crore in a study conducted by the British Council, IIT Kharagpur and Queen Mary University in the UK. On September 7, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari appealed to puja organisers not to choose any themes for their pandals and idols that could deviate from tradition, culture and the sanctity of rituals.
Organisers have welcomed this,” said the president of a prominent puja club in South Kolkata.
