90pc work on Durga idols completed in Barisal

With Sharodiya Durga Utsob - the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community - just round the corner, more than 300 Paul (sculptors) groups in Barisal are busy sculpting idols of Goddess Durga in 550 mandaps. The Pauls and Kumars have already completed 90 per cent of their work comprising making, dressing and decorating of Durga idols (Protima) in Puja mandaps. The Pauls hail from Rajbari, Gournadi, Goila, Pirojpur and Koloshkathi, with each group entering contracts with four to five mandap  committees for idol work. They charge around Tk. 40,000 to Tk. 60,000 per set up. Like always, this year too, they have worked round-the-clock to decorate various mandops with gates and electric lights. However, organisers are of the view the Pauls have charged higher rates than last year.
Suity Das, the only woman among the Pauls of Barisal division, has created the Durga idol at Kawnia Loknath Mandir in the city, charging Tk. 60,000. She said material such as soil, rope, paddy straw, bamboo, jute and bara needed to make the idol was supplied by the mandop committee. Her associates and she earned Tk. 7 lakh this year sculpting idols in 17 mandops across Barisal, including the city. Suity claimed she had done better than her male counterparts.
Nitai Paul, the senior-most Paul in the region, said around 300 Pauls - including 36 Guru Pauls - were busy with idol work in Barisal. He informed that a group of five to six Pauls needed 18 to 20 days to make a big Protima whereas a smaller idol required 14 to 16 days. He  said Tk. 40,000 was the minimum and Tk. 60,000 the maximum amount charged for making idols this year whereas last year, the range was between Tk. 30,000 to Tk. 45,000. He said high cost of living was the reason they had decided to increase their rates.

90pc work on Durga idols completed in Barisal

With Sharodiya Durga Utsob - the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community - just round the corner, more than 300 Paul (sculptors) groups in Barisal are busy sculpting idols of Goddess Durga in 550 mandaps. The Pauls and Kumars have already completed 90 per cent of their work comprising making, dressing and decorating of Durga idols (Protima) in Puja mandaps. The Pauls hail from Rajbari, Gournadi, Goila, Pirojpur and Koloshkathi, with each group entering contracts with four to five mandap committees for idol work. They charge around Tk. 40,000 to Tk. 60,000 per set up. Like always, this year too, they have worked round-the-clock to decorate various mandops with gates and electric lights. However, organisers are of the view the Pauls have charged higher rates than last year. Suity Das, the only woman among the Pauls of Barisal division, has created the Durga idol at Kawnia Loknath Mandir in the city, charging Tk. 60,000. She said material such as soil, rope, paddy straw, bamboo, jute and bara needed to make the idol was supplied by the mandop committee. Her associates and she earned Tk. 7 lakh this year sculpting idols in 17 mandops across Barisal, including the city. Suity claimed she had done better than her male counterparts. Nitai Paul, the senior-most Paul in the region, said around 300 Pauls - including 36 Guru Pauls - were busy with idol work in Barisal. He informed that a group of five to six Pauls needed 18 to 20 days to make a big Protima whereas a smaller idol required 14 to 16 days. He said Tk. 40,000 was the minimum and Tk. 60,000 the maximum amount charged for making idols this year whereas last year, the range was between Tk. 30,000 to Tk. 45,000. He said high cost of living was the reason they had decided to increase their rates.