Sculptors busy crafting images of Goddess Saraswati

By our correspondent,Barahakshetra, January 25: Saraswati Puja is celebrated on the auspicious day of Magh Sukla Panchami. As the day approaches, sculptors are heavily engaged in crafting statues of Saraswati, working day and night to meet the rising demand.

Saraswati, revered as the Goddess of knowledge, is worshipped primarily by students, teachers, journalists, and literary figures. Sculptors in Sunsari district are now busy making statues in various sizes, with prices determined by their dimensions. Among them, "Binod Arts and Murti Karkhana," located in Inaruwa-2 near the Sunsari border, has been creating statues for over a decade.

Binod Kumar Yadav, the owner, starts his day early and works late into the night. Despite having studied only up to the 12th grade, Yadav earns an annual income of Rs. 700,000 from it. Apart from Saraswati, he also makes statues of other deities on demand. This year, he has already crafted over 100 Saraswati statues and continues to work tirelessly to meet additional orders. However, he acknowledges the challenges of working alone and has hired two helpers to assist him.

“Goddess Saraswati’s puja requires her statue, and this year, February 3 is the auspicious day of Basanta Panchami, so the demand is especially high,” Yadav shared. 

He also revealed that statue-making is a generational skill passed down from his parents. “My mother, father, and I have all been engaged in this profession. I started when I was just 11 years old, and it has been our main source of livelihood.”

The statues are crafted using a mixture of red clay, straw, wheat husk, rice husk, rope, and colours. Each statue takes about two days to complete. Yadav begins his work two months before the main celebration to ensure timely delivery of orders. Many schools have already placed their requests, with statues priced around Rs. 3,000 to 4,000.

Another sculptor, Vindeshwor Yadav of Inaruwa-9, also makes Saraswati statues at home. In Sunsari, there are about 12 other artisans involved in the statue-making business. These individuals, known locally as "Kumale," create clay statues and other items to sustain their livelihoods.

On Magh Sukla Basanta Panchami, students and other devotees worship Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, depicted as holding a book in one hand and ‘Vina’ in the other is white as the moon.