CHENNAI: As autumn unfolds, the air is infused with the delicate fragrance of parijat flowers, marking the arrival of the most-awaited five days of the year for Bengalis. Waking up at 4 am, and plucking 108 bel patra (bael leaves) and 108 jaba phool (hibiscus) for pushpanjali is a routine for five days starting from Shoshti (Day 6 of Navaratri). Furthermore, standing in long queues to see the goddess and going pandal hopping in Kolkata is an emotion.
As the pandals of Kolkata are set to begin their festivities, in Chennai, a small hut is also gearing for the Durga Pujo. The hut’s residents are 15 artisans and sculptors from West Bengal, who have made this their home for more than 30 years. Their hands are caked with clay as they meticulously shape the figures of Durga, bringing life into the 22 idols they are working on to be sent to various parts in Chennai, Vellore, Hosur, Neyveli, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.
Every year, the group comes to the city by the first week of August. “Idol-making runs in our genes. We have been coming to Chennai since 1992 to make idols. Throughout the year, our calendar is occupied with Saraswati Pujo, Kali Pujo, Jagadhatri Pujo,” says Deben Pal, a 44-year-old sculptor from South 24 Parganas, and a part-time teacher at a private school in West Bengal, who has been making idols since the age of 18.
The BCom graduate takes inspiration from his father Kishori Mohan Pal who has carved more than 6,000 idols. The senior artisan has been making idols for the Bengal Association in T Nagar, where the Durga Pujo celebrations date back to the early 1930s, since he first came here in the 80s. His first order was from the Madras Kalibari in West Mambalam, says Deben.
The artisans stick to the traditions that are involved in making the idol. In Bengal, there is a practice of asking for the ‘first mud’ that is used to make the idol, from brothels as it is considered as the ‘punya mati’ or sacred soil. The kumars (idol makers) beg for the soil from sex workers.
“Although we prepare the deity in Chennai, the first layer of mud that is used to make Durga Maa comes from the Ganga river which flows down the Hooghly. We also ask for the mud from the houses of the sex workers in Bengal. We bring the ornaments and accessories worn by the goddess, and chalchitra (background canvas of the deity) from Kolkata,” says Deben, moulding the clay to give shape to the little Kartikeya.
A few metres away from the hut, Kishori is immersed in his work, crafting the astras of the divine that will adorn the 10 hands of the deity. His weathered hands move with practiced precision, but he hardly has time for conversation, lost in the rhythm of his creation.
“I liked to travel. I have travelled to Agra, Delhi, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Kerala, Puducherry, and other places to make idols. I wanted to settle after a point so I finally chose Chennai as my retirement place. The people of Tamil Nadu give us respect. The small children who study nearby at the government school come here to learn drawing. They touch my feet and say that I am next to God for them because I give life to the deities by crafting them,” he says.
Kishori used to work in Kumortuli in North Kolkata, home to the traditional potters of West Bengal. He, his sons, and the team of artisans meet the growing demands of customers by crafting idols of every size, and style. Each creation reflects his craftsmanship — the fierce gaze of the goddess, the graceful folds of her sari, and the subtle expressions on her face emerge under the sculptor’s touch. His creations are placed in schools and colleges too to celebrate the festival.
As the day of unveiling the idol arrives, pandals are gearing up to welcome devotees, and artisans like Kishori, Deben, and their team bring a slice of the festivities in the East to the South.
We wait for 365 days to smell the fragrance of dhunuchi (earthly dhoop), listen to the chants of pushpanjali, revel in the sound of shondha aarti, dance to the rhythmic beats of dhak, and look at the lighting of 108 shondhi pujo diyas in awe. The time has arrived to go pandal hopping, have sumptuous khichuri bhog and beguni, and participate in different events as Durga Maa comes to bless us. Gear up for the five days of grandeur, pomp, and zest which will end with the promise of “aasche bochor abaar hobe” (Pujo will happen again next year).