Kolkata Durga Puja Pandal to worship 'migrant mother' idol; artist shares his inspiration

The Durga Puja pandal of Kolkata's Barisha Club gained fame after they replaced the traditional idol of the goddess with that of a migrant woman along with her children. The club installed the idol to depict the hardships faced by the migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown and to pay a tribute to them. In a conversation with ANI, the idol maker revealed the inspiration behind the idea. 

"The idea came during lockdown when I saw the plight of migrant workers. A woman walking without aid with 4 children is something I consider worth deifying," said the artist, Rintu Das. 

Earlier in an interview with Telegraph, the idol maker said that he chose a migrant mother to represent the goddess as she braved the summer heat, hunger and poverty, and all other hardships for her kids amid the pandemic. He further added that her relentless spirit portrayed goddess imagery as the spirit of the women and their plight overwhelmed him as an artist.

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Barisha Club's Durga idol

Kolkata's Barisha club used this opportunity to pick a meaningful theme to portray the impact of lockdown on the life of migrant workers. The idol set up by the Durga Puja committee of the club, goddess Durga can be seen walking with her children surrounded by gunny bags with Lord Ganesha atop a buffalo and lion head, holding the platform she stands on. Behind the idol is a reflection of the face of the traditional Durga idol with a halo of 10 hands. 

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The president of Barisha club, Sudip said, "Goddess Durga epitomises strength and determination. Our budget has completely gone down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Barisha Club is known for its theme; so nothing could be better than portraying the hardships of these migrant workers."

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(With inputs from ANI)