Kolkata: Four community Durga Puja idols of the city, which received acclaim of lakhs of visitors, will be housed in the state-run Alipore Jail Museum for permanent display, an official said.
The idols of Goddess Durga of Chaltabagan, Amra Sabai Arjunpur, Salt Lake FD Block and Chetla Agrani have been handed over to the museum by the organisers, an official of HIDCO (West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation) said.
The 15 feet high idol of Arjunpur Amra Sabai Club, was chiselled by eminent sculptor Bhabatosh Sutar. The idol resembled a figure of defiance who stood her ground after being trampled.
Expressing happiness over the decision to keep the idol in the museum for permanent display, Sutar said: “This idol has three dimensions having aesthetic, permanent and sculptural values. It can definitely be kept in such a museum.”
“The primary objective of a Puja idol is bisorjon (immersion) as that is our tradition but I am all for keeping some idols for preservation if there is proper infrastructure. In our tropical humid climate, chances of idols getting discoloured and decayed by dust are high, more if these are kept in open space”, he said, adding: “I usually love the concept of Bisorjon but for idols like the one made for Arjunpur Amra Sabai we can make an exception for the main image.”
The 13 feet high earthen deity of Chaltabagan sports an antique brass look. It is learnt that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was so impressed by the idol at the Red Road Carnival that she passed directions right on the spot for its preservation at the museum. The plan for immersion of the idol was called off at the last moment.
The installation of FD block Puja in Salt Lake was inspired by Dokra art that showcased a village-like setting adorned by figures of horses that stood like sentinels on two sides of the village.
The earthen idol of Chetla Agrani sported a sand stone effect. Installation from the Chetla Agrani club’s Puja was conceived by artist Subrata Banerjee. The theme ‘‘Je Jekhane Dariye’ (the place where different classes of people stand) portrayed a contrasting picture of how the working class lead their daily lives and how the established people in the society are moving forward to achieve their dreams.