Kolkata pandal replaces Goddess Durga idol with migrant workers as tribute to their struggles amid Covid

A Kolkata pandal has decided to replace the traditional idol of Goddess Durga with that of migrant workers as a tribute to their struggles amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandal, organised by Barisha Club Durga Puja committee in Behala, Kolkata, features a migrant worker mother in place of the goddess.

Apart from the idol of Durga, those of the other gods and goddesses, including Saraswati, Laxmi and Ganesh and Kartik have also been replaced with idols of migrant workers.

The female goddesses have been replaced with migrant workers' daughters, carrying a duck and owl, respectively, which are considered as the deities’ chosen ‘vaahan’.

The migrant worker mother idol also carries a shirtless child in her arms, in place of Kartik. Besides, there is a pot-bellied child with an elephant head, signifying Ganesha.

The theme of the pandal is "relief". More than one crore migrant workers returned to their home states on foot during March-June 2020, as per data compiled by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.