New Delhi: It is said that Goddess Durga was created from the combined divine energies of the Holy Trinity – Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma – to eliminate the demon Mahishasura, who had a divine blessing that she should not be killed by a ‘man’ or ‘Lord’. can. ‘.
The ‘Dashbhuja (10-armed)’ goddess was given weapons like chakra, conch, trishul, mace, bow, arrow, sword, shield and bell by many gods so that she could take the buffalo demon and save the universe. his atrocities.
Durga performed the task for which she was created, registering the victory of good over evil.
The annual Durga Puja festival is a commemoration of that victory, and a celebration of the belief that the goddess (good) will continue to protect the earth from Mahishasura (evil).
The Devi Paksha (the bright lunar fortnight in the month of autumn) began on a Thursday, a day after Mahalaya, and it is believed that Durga has already arrived at her ‘ancestral home’, her annual visit to the earth.
While the festival is celebrated at this time of the year, its preparations start much in advance.
The making of Durga idols is usually the most critical time in the life of clay sculptors engaged in the work, which begins months in advance – following all the rites, rituals and protocols.
While Durga Puja used to be a simple home-based affair in the past, it took the form of a festival between the 16th and 17th centuries. And the art and process of making sculptures is said to have remained largely unchanged since then.
Durga idol making
Goddess Durga, riding on a lion and attacking Mahishasura, giving her company with her children Ganesha, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati – each Durga Puja pandal depicts this scene in her own way.
Accordingly, the sculptors are required to make at least these seven figures even for the smallest worship.
In Bengal, where Durga Puja is the biggest festival, the position of the idol used to be ‘eka-chal’ earlier, which meant that all the seven figures were placed under a single arch made of bamboo and wood. Multiple arches are now used in most places, and the organizers of the puja decide the position according to their choice or the specific theme chosen for the year.
The process of making the idol usually begins with ‘Pata Puja’ on the day of Rath Yatra, which usually takes place around July. The ‘Pata’ is the wooden frame that forms the base for the idols.
In some places, this puja is also performed on another auspicious day, Janmashtami.
In West Bengal, the capital Kolkata is a major center of Kumortuli idol making.
In the first phase of idol-making, the sculptors build bamboo frames for all the seven figures – Durga, Singh, Mahishasura, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesh and Kartik. Additionally, they are required to make a swan for Saraswati, an owl which is Lakshmi’s ‘vehicle’, a mouse for Ganesha and a peacock for Kartik’s ‘vehicle’.
The frame of this skeleton is then filled with grass, which ensures that the idols are not too heavy.
Then comes the time of clay use – a job that requires a lot of skill and rules and protocols to be followed.
Traditionally, seven types of clay were mixed to form a final paste for making idols.
Importance of soil from a prostitute’s house
One school of thought holds that Durga should be worshiped along with ‘Navakanyas’, who represent the nine classes of women. They are: a ‘grandson’, who is a dancer or actress), a ‘vaishya’ or prostitute, a ‘razaki’ or washerman, a ‘brahmin (Brahmin girl)’, a ‘shudra’, and a ‘gopal’ or milkman.
This could be one of the reasons why clay from a prostitute’s house is mixed with clay which is used to make an idol of Durga.
In her book ‘In the Name of the Goddess’, Tapati Guha-Thakurta writes: “In this alluvial soil there is a curious ritual of incorporating a lump of clay removed from the threshold of a prostitute’s house, in the process both to sanctify the soil and the tainted area from which it was drawn.”
she adds: “[A] A month before the puja, sex workers sell clay to modelers of clay at a price between Rs 10-20 for a bag. ”
These days shops selling items related to worship keep different types of clay for the use of the sculptors.
Many believe that the soil collected from the threshold of a prostitute’s house is “pure” because people visiting such places leave behind all the virtues at the door to satisfy sensual desires. It is believed that the soil becomes blessed by imbibing the qualities of these people.
final soil mix
The soil of the prostitute’s house is mixed with the river banks, usually the Ganges in the case of Bengal, to make the final paste.
The grass-filled frame gets a layer of thick viscous clay which helps the sculptors to shape the figures. Once it dries, another layer is applied and the body is sculpted.
An article in Sahapedia, citing Biswajit Pal, a veteran sculptor from Krishnanagar, West Bengal, states that the artist prefers a special type of clay to create the faces, hands and other intricate parts of the sculptures – a very smooth one. And the softer variety.
According to the article, jute fibers are woven into the clay to make the face and hands “strong and resilient”.
For the final coat, a special molding clay is used.
Once the clay dries, said figures are covered with white chalk paint and tamarind seed gum.
According to Guha-Thakurta’s book, the mixture creates binding for the different colors in which they are painted.
Then it’s time to add hair, clothes, jewelery and weapons.
“This process culminates in the painting of the eyes of the central figure of Durga, symbolizing the symbolic bringing to life of the icon—a ritual [called Chokkhodaan] It is most effectively played on the morning of Mahalaya,” writes Guha-Thakurta.
According to Pal, the overall staging of the idols is incomplete without the mandatory placing of Shiva on top of Durga’s head in the form of an idol or a simple picture. “… you cannot worship Durga without Shiva.”
ready for festival
Once all the figures are ready, the idols are taken to pandals and installed at their allotted places, usually on Mahapanchami or Mahashashti, which is the fifth or sixth day of Devi Paksha.
It is the day of ‘Prana Pratishtha’ in idols, which then transform from simple clay figures into deities. There is a brass vessel in front of the worshiping priest idol which symbolizes the energy of the Mother Goddess.
Mantras are chanted, hymns are sung, conch shells are played, bells are blown and lamps are lit to declare the festival open.
After five days of worship and festivities, Durga killed Mahishasura before returning to the abode of Shiva, saying goodbye to the earth for another year.
Durga Puja 2021 Dates
Mahashasti – October 11, 2021
Mahasaptami – October 12, 2021
Maha Ashtami – October 13, 2021
Mahanavami – October 14, 2021
Vijaya Dashami – October 15, 2021
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