Made of bamboo, jute, thermocol, and paper, this Saraswati Puja in a small town of West Bengal will boast the world’s tallest idol of the goddess, measuring 111 ft in length, according to the organisers.
To make the idol, two clubs of the Batanagar area of Maheshtala municipality merged and formed a new committee. The two clubs are “Batanagar Creation” and “Batanagar squad”. Local councillor (34 number ward) Gopal Saha became the convenor of the committee.
Saha said, “We wanted to erect our devi for education to such a height that it will be the tallest in the world. Our catchline is, ‘We bow down to our mother. Saraswati of Batanagar is the tallest’.”
In the past in West Bengal — in Deshapriya Park of Kolkata as well as at Kalyani of Nadia district — administrations have forced organisers to stop constructing tall goddess Durga idols because of possible security breaches and a “stampede-like situation”.
However, in this case, Saha claimed there would be no chance of an accident.
“We are organising this puja at the Newpand maidan area. This area has more than 25 acres of vacant land. We are erecting the idol in the centre of the ground, supported by a huge crane from the back of the statue. To avoid any stampede, we are marking a ‘D’ area of 130 ft in front of the idol. No one can enter this area,” he said.
He further added, “We will make arrangements for a fire brigade and a proper traffic and crowd management system so that no chaos can be created.”
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The organisers of this puja brought Somnath Tamli who is the artist of this idol from Midnapore.
Saha said, “The structure of the idol is made up of hollow iron pipes and bamboo. That will be covered by jute cloth and paper. Then the whole structure will be covered by thermocol.”
The Maheshtala municipality area falls under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency where the number two of TMC and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, is the MP. Saha said, “We got the courage to make such a huge idol from our leader. We invited him to inaugurate the idol on February 1, but he will not be able to be present as the budget session of the Parliament will start. Instead of him, a bunch of Tollywood artists will come to inaugurate the huge idol of Saraswati.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
