Table of Contents
What is Durga idol made of?
The artisans start by making a bamboo frame for the idol, called a kathamo. They bind straw over it to give it structure, and then apply clay on top to give it its final shape. After drying the statue in the sun for a few days, they paint and decorate it.
Which flower is used in Durga?
Hibiscus flower and pure ghee are offered to the deity in her feet and the deity blesses her devotees with a disease-free life. Goddess Brahmacharini is worshipped on the second day. She blesses her devotees with purity and piousness if she is offered chrysanthemums or shevanti flowers.
Which kind of soil is best used for making soil idols?
Saline Soil with addition of small amount of Calcium Carbonate is a better option for making idols.
Why is soil from brothels used to make Goddess Durga’s idols?
Goddess Durga’s idol made during Durga Puja is incomplete without the soil from the house of a sex worker. The mud is collected because those people who visit the prostitutes for sex leave their purity and virtue outside the door thus making the soil in front of the home of a prostitute virtuous.
What is Jui flower?
Jasminum auriculatum is a species of jasmine, in the family Oleaceae. It is found in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Andaman Islands. Due to essential oil contained in the flowers, it cultivated commercially in India and Thailand. It is commonly called “JUI”(ଯୁଇ, জুই) in India in Odia and Bengali languages.
Which type of soil is used for making statues and idols?
Shadu soil is used for making statues and idols.
Which type of soil is used to make Ganpati?
Plant-a-Ganesha became quite a rage a few years back. Made using red soil, fertilizers,andtulsi or ladyfinger seeds, this idol is watered (instead of immersing it) at the end of the 10-day festival, so that it dissolves in the soil beneath. This eventually leads to a nice little plant being born!
Who started Durga Puja?
In literature from around the 16th century we find the first mentions of the grand celebration of Durga puja by zamindars (landlords) in West Bengal. Different scripts point to different rajas (kings) and zamindars who celebrated and financed the Durga puja for the whole village.
How are the idols of Goddess Durga made?
They supply the idols to most of the pujas . Making the idols of Goddess Durga, along with Goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati and Lords Ganesha and Kartikeya is a daunting task in itself. For the entire puja to be auspicious, the idols need to be created with the right mixture of punya mati or blessed soil.
What are the materials used to make Ganesha idols?
These include mud from the banks of the Ganga, cow dung, cow urine and soil from outside brothels, known as ‘Nishiddho Pallis’, without which the idol is considered incomplete.
What makes Kolkata’s Kumartuli famous for Durga idol making?
Months before Durga Puja, the narrow lanes and bylanes of Kumartuli in Kolkata come alive with artisans and idol makers giving shape to the ten-armed goddess and her family with clay for the festivities.
Why did Durga Maa destroy Mahishasur?
Angered by this disgrace, Durga Maa used all her power and rage to destroy Mahishasur, who looked down upon women. For this reason, it is believed that using of soil from outside a brothel should be treated as a respect to those women, who have been downtrodden and humiliated by society.