Idol makers busy in port city

Publication Date: 5 October, 2015
Media: The Independent

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Artisan in the city are working round the clock for making idols of Hindu goddess ahead of the community’s biggest religious festival Durga Puja. They were found busy to make goddess at Dewanzi Pukur Par, Sadarghat, Goyal Para, Katalganj, Agrabad and Akbarshah areas.

In Chittagong city about 300 puja mandaps will be set up this year while it will about 1,600 in the district, said sources of Chittagong district and Mohanagar Puja Udjapan Parishad. This huge amount of the demand of the idols of Hindu goddess is met by the local artisans of Chittagong. To meet the demand they already started their work at least four months ago. Rubel Archaya, sculptors of the Akbar Shah area said that they were busy to final work to the idols.  “We are also getting order from the city as well as outside. This year I am making around 12 idol of goddess, I have got order from Akbarshah area and some orders from Sitakunda upazila” said Rubel.

They are selling the each idol from Tk 25,000 to Tk60, 000. The prices of idols depend of the size, said the sculptors. Tapash Das, an artisan of Sadarghat area told The Independent he got order a total of nine idols. He received order from Banskhali, Patiya and Sitakunda Upazilas of the district.

When contacted Ratna Kar Das Tunu, secretary, Mohanagar Puja Udajapan Parishad said that this year a total of 298 Puja Madaps will be set up in the city which is increased eight in numbers compared to the last year.

“We have started taking the preparation for the festival three months ago. We have discussed with the law enforcers agencies about the security measures on the Puja Mandaps. They assured us to take all the possible steps to tighten the security on the mandaps,” said Ratna Kar Das Tunu.

Contacted, Chandan Dey, secretary of North district Puja Udjapan Parishad said, “This year the numbers of Puja Mandaps will rise to 900. Last year it was 864, he said. We have already met all the Upazila committee to discuss about the security measures of the Puja mandaps.” “Some 800 Puja mandaps will be set up in the South district this year, up by 50 from last year,” said Professor Biplob Gangali, president of South district Puja Udjhapan Parishad. Abdul Jalil Mandal, commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police said that on October 7 they will hold a meeting with the Puja Udjapan committee then they will set up security plan.  “We will take security measure based on every mandaps to avoid untoward incidents,” said Mandal.

“We are making the security plan based on the lists of the Pjua mandaps to avoid any kind of untoward incidents. Soon we will discuss with the leaders of the Puja Udjapan Parishad to know their requirements and to enhance the security measure,” said AKM Hafiz Akhter, Chittagong Superintendent of Police (SP).