Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In the heart of Indore, where tradition meets artistic brilliance, a magnificent spectacle unfolds every year during the festive season - the creation of Durga idols. As the city awakens to the rhythms of drums and the fragrant incense, artisans from diverse backgrounds come together to craft these divine masterpieces. These Durga idols are not mere sculptures but they are embodiments of creativity, devotion, and cultural fusion. With each stroke of the artist's brush and every lovingly placed ornament, these idols breathe life into the spirit of celebration, uniting the people of Indore in a joyous and colourful tapestry of faith.
The artisans come here from Bengal around four months before Ganesh Chaturthi and begin the work of making beautiful idols of Lord Ganesh and Durga. They bring the raw materials from various places, like Lucknow, Kolkata and Dewas. The bamboos are brought from Lucknow, dresses and accessories from Kolkata and black soil from Dewas said Rohit Pal (sculptor) sharing information with Free Press. He said that we have constructed five pandals near Bengali Square, where around 1,200-1,500 big idols are made with different colours, dresses and accessories. We make the idols in different sizes and shapes, adding beautiful colours to the faces of the idols to make them look more soothing to the eyes.
He added that we have a business turnover of Rs 2-2.5 crore and if we talk individually one pandal earns around Rs 30-40 lakh. Around 100 idol makers come down from Bengal to construct these idols every year and add colour and joy to our festivals. The idol-making follows a set procedure first a framework is created to provide structural support and then the clay modelling is done to provide a basic shape of the Goddess. This is followed by fine sculpting where artisans add intricate details to the idols and the drying process so that the idol retains its shape, after which smoothing and shaping is done, then painting and decoration and at last the final touches are given after which the idols are ready to be installed.
