Made-in-Pune Durga for US fest

The Durga Mahotsav celebrated by Indians at Bharatiya Mandir,Philadelphia,US,will have a Puneri touch to it.

The Durga Mahotsav celebrated by Indians at Bharatiya Mandir,Philadelphia,US,will have a Puneri touch to it. The idol of Goddess Durga has been crafted by city based sculptor and artist Abhijit Dhondhphale of the Dhondhphale Kala Niketan and is being flown to the US on Saturday evening.

The festival is celebrated by the Marathi Mandal of Philadelphia,the Gujarati Samaj,the Telugu Association and the Tamil Association,all unified under the Bharatiya Samaj. Since I have a Pune connection as I have a business here,the responsibility of commissioning an artist to make the idol was given to me, said Mukund Kute,member,Navratri Mahotsav Samiti,Bharatiya Mandir,Philadelphia.

Kute visited Pune a month-and-a-half ago to meet the craftsmen. We were impressed by Dhondhphales work. His idols look so real,as though they will start talking any moment. We held several discussions and conveyed details of how we wanted the idol to be. Community members in Philadelphia wanted the idol to look motherly and full of compassion. We are happy with the result, said Kute.

The four-foot-high idol made of fibreglass weighs 20 kg. It is unbreakable,weather proof, said Dhondhphale. The whole process took over a month. It is completely custom-made. From the hands to the smiling face and compassionate eyes,the idol is unique, he added.

All moulds made by Dhondhphale Kala Niketan are broken once the idol is ready. Thus,the same sculpture is never repeated making it even more special, said Dhondhphale,who is the third generation of the family in the business. He is an artist and a sculptor and this leads to a perfect result. I am sure our children and the generation after them will cherish this idol for the next 25-30 years, added Kute.

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