Sculptors busy making Durga idols for Dashain

By Jayakrishna Yadav,Inaruwa, Sept. 18: Sculptors are overwhelmed with orders for idols of Goddess Durga as the great Hindu festival of Dashain approaches in Sunsari.

With the onset of the most significant celebration for Sanatan Hindu followers, the demand for artistic clay idols of Goddess Durga has sharply increased, making local artisans extremely busy.

Since it is customary to place idols of Goddess Durga in various temples and local neighbourhoods for worship during Dashain, Durga Puja committees across Sunsari have been giving large orders to idol makers.

One such artisan, Indrajit Chaudhary of Gadhi Rural Municipality-3, Chhitaha, said he has been working round the clock to fulfil orders for idols of Goddess Durga, Goddess Kali, and other deities.

Chaudhary, who has taken an order worth Rs. 150,000 from the Durga Temple in Inaruwa-2, earns nearly Rs. 1 million annually from idol-making alone.

With Dashain just a week away, he has already completed 29 idols and is preparing to make more, with the help of four to five fellow artisans.

Similarly, Binod Yadav of Babiya, Inaruwa-9, who started learning idol-making at the young age of 11, is now busy creating idols in his own village. He currently employs four workers.

Yadav sells Durga idols for Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000 each, while idols for other festivals such as Vishwakarma Puja, Saraswati Puja, Jituwahan Puja, and Laxmi Puja are priced between Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 30,000, depending on their size and artistic detailing.

Typically, idols are crafted using straw, ropes, wood, jute, and a mixture of clay. As idol-making is a seasonal occupation, artisans often remain idle during the rest of the year.

Chaudhary added that it can be difficult to source the right kind of clay and raw materials, which must be purchased and transported in advance.

It is estimated that around 500 idols of Goddess Durga will be installed this Dashain in Sunsari district alone, including the headquarters, Inaruwa, and the southern belt.

A few years ago, idols and artisans were mostly brought from India, but nowadays Nepali sculptors themselves are producing them.