Not a century, not a double century — a north Kolkata Durga puja is all set to hit ten tons! An ashtadhatu idol of Durga weighing more than 1,000kg arrived at Sovabazar Beniatola Sarbojanin Puja on Sunday.
The 11-foot metal idol has been sculpted by artisans from Mahishadal and Midnapore under the guidance of celebrated artist Mintu Pal. The club claims it is the heaviest idol in a Kolkata puja.
Transporting the idol proved to be a challenge. A standard 10-foot clay idol weighs around 150-200kg and it takes more than 20 to 25 men to carry and place it. So, manoeuvring a 1,000kg idol was indeed a Herculean task.
The 11-foot ashtadhatu idol was first brought to Kolkata in a trailer from Mahishadal and brought down with the help of an industrial crane.
“It took more than two hours to place the idol after bringing it down from the truck. While the transportation cost us over Rs 2.5 lakh, the idol itself is worth over Rs 18.5 lakh,” said Biswajit Dawn, the joint secretary of the club. The 100-odd members of the club have paid for the idol’s carrying cost.
The puja committee has decided to keep the idol in a local temple so that it can be worshipped throughout the year. “We wanted to do this before but because of the pandemic, we could not. Besides, there are only a couple of Durga temples in Kolkata,” Dawn said.