Divine Drapes

Away from the posh locality of Hindustan Park,at Kumortuli Mintu Pal is readying the last batch of idols which are to be dispatched to the respective pandals. Bundles of glossy red cloth lie about his studio and there are buckets of shiny chumkis at a corner.As he smears red paint on Durga’s feet,Pal tells us about the deity’s sartorial history. “Red saris with zari border have been an overwhelming favourite for the past 50 years. However,nowadays,with the popularity of theme pujas,organizers are more experimental. Clay saris are quite the rage as idol makers find the process of creating intricate drapes very interesting,” Pal says.

At the Dum Dum Park Tarun Sangha pandal,Durga is dressed in a flaming red sari which was made of clay. “Our pandal is modeled on a fishing village and the idol is supposed to look like a local deity. We chose not to use a cloth sari to make the idol more authentic,” says Prashanta Pal who conceptualized the pandal and the idol. Lake Town Adhibashi Brinda’s idol is draped in a cheery,striped orange sari which looks like something you will buy from a Khadi outlet in Gariahat. “We wanted a distinctly Nepali look for our idol because the pandal is modeled on a typical Nepali temple,” says Gouranga Kuila who conceptualized the Puja.

For art director Ujjwal Chakraborty,who in association with Gautam Ghosh designed the Badamtala Ashar Sangha pandal,the idol’s sari is of vital importance. “What she wears is contributes to the overall effect. It has to be in keeping with the theme but one also has to keep in mind that Ma Durga stands for everything maternal. Therefore she shouldn’t alienate the visitors,” says Chakraborty. At the Badamtala Ashar Sangha pandal,the goddess can be seen in a tribal avatar. “We have dressed her in a garod sari . It may be simple but it does manage to make her stand out,” adds Chakraborty.

But do fashion trends dictate Ma Durga’s wardrobe too? “While there have been cases of idols being modeled on film stars I don’t think popular culture dictates Ma Durga’s wardrobe. It’s not likely that you will see a Durga idol in a Bollwood designer inspired sari in a pandal this year,” says Ghosh. Keeping in mind the collections of designers like Rocky S and Neeta Lulla at the recently-concluded Kolkata Fashion Week II,it’s very likely to be the other way around.