DURGA PUJA-1; Making of the the DEV-DEVI murti

‘Sharat, tomar arun alor anjali...’

(‘Sharat, your offering of sunlight’)
This is a beautiful song by Kavi Rabindranath Tagore about Sharad ritu(early autumn season).

 

Love this time of the year.
The sun shines extra bright and happy from in between the clouds. The sun feels warm, refreshing and has a feel of taking away all the germs and dirt.
Its time to open up your trunks, boxes and suitcases to take out all things precious and air them.
Love the smell of sun-kissed linen.

There's something in the air. The blooms this time have just started to bud, and soon the air will fill with sweet intoxicating smell, which makes me nostalgic, and takes me back to childhood Durga Pujo holidays.
I wait for this the whole year

DURGA PUJO IS NEAR!!!

The Kumortuli (potters-residential area) is busy with mud, straw, bamboo, non-toxic colours, shola, shiny cut-out of ornaments and weapons, and shiny fabric in bright colours.

 

These are the preliminary mold cut motifs and small murti face.

 

The craftsman or murtikaar at work...

 

The asura...

looks ferocious enough even now

 

The bamboo frame is made and tied around with straw and mud to give body and shape

 

The clay used is soft river bed mud

 

The murtikaar with his expertise give shapes to many Dev-Devis

 

Each murti has a mythological story to say

 

Each story glorifies the good virtues and their victory over the bad

 

Like the detailing done on the hood of the snake

 

The simple water colour adding more vibrance

 

The vahan Lion in the making

 

Each step takes closer to more majestic forms

 

The singha (lion) ready to pounce and tear the asura to pieces

 

Some of the murtis (idol or statues) are made at the venue itself, as they are big and can be difficult to transfer them from kumartuli to venue.

 

Ganesha

 

Kartikay

 

The assembled murti before the Puja begins

 

Shorod kaler roder jilik

Shiuli fuler gohdho'

Maa esche ghore tai

Mone elo anando.

Kumor tuli holo khali

touri holo dhaki...

(The glimpse of the sunlight of early autumn

beautiful smell of shiuli flower

Mother Durga is coming

So my heart is full of happiness

The potter's colony is getting empty

Drummers are getting ready...)

 

Have a blessed Durga Pujo!

Have a healthy, happy and successful life ahead!