Preparations for Sharadiya Durga Puja are nearing completion at 80 mandaps across Saidpur upazila in Nilphamari district, with artisans busy applying the final coats of paint to idols and organisers decorating pandals ahead of the festival.
The festival, one of the most important religious celebrations for Hindus, is scheduled to begin on October 16. The streets and puja mandaps are taking on a festive appearance as devotees look forward to welcoming Goddess Durga after a year of waiting.
Artisans have completed most of the work on the idols and are now concentrating on the finishing touches. Meanwhile, puja committees are constructing decorative gates and arranging colourful decorations at the mandaps.
According to local puja organisers, Goddess Durga is believed to arrive on Earth from Mount Kailash riding a lion and return by boat. The message of the goddess’s arrival will be announced to devotees on October 10 through Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of the countdown to Durga Puja. The mandaps are now being illuminated and decorated, while artisans work to complete the idols.
An artisan, speaking on condition of anonymity, said favourable weather had helped ensure that idol-making proceeded without problems this year. He expects the painting work to be completed quickly. He said he began learning the craft in childhood by helping his father decorate clay idols and has since made it his profession.
“Making idols requires considerable patience and concentration. If a mistake is made, the work has to be started again. The work must be done with care and dedication,” he said, adding that it can take three to four months to make an idol for a mandap properly.
The artisan said they receive payment according to their contracts, but rising prices of materials and supplies leave them with little money after completing the work. He said the profession no longer provides a reliable livelihood and that many artisans have moved into other occupations. Those who remain in the trade are trying to preserve the family profession passed down through generations.
Meanwhile, a mandap committee president, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the overall cost of making idols and decorating puja mandaps had increased considerably because of higher material prices and artisans’ wages.
“We are struggling to manage the expenses. Apart from other costs, we have agreed to pay the artisans Tk 130,000, up from Tk 100,000 previously,” he said. Despite the higher costs, he expressed hope that the celebrations would conclude successfully.
Nilphamari Superintendent of Police Md Farhad Hossain Khan said police were taking precautionary measures to ensure that no individual or group could exploit the festival to trigger an unpleasant incident or disrupt law and order.
He said surveillance had been strengthened through social media and other channels to prevent the spread of rumours and misleading information.
The police superintendent expressed hope that Durga Puja would conclude peacefully without any untoward incidents.
