Rayagada: A woman in Odisha’s Rayagada has found a unique way to preserve her late husband’s memory with a life-like silicone statue of his.
The statue now occupies a prominent place in her home, a silent but comforting presence that continues to evoke the love the couple shared.
Dr Samir Roy of Muniguda in Rayagada district passed away in October 2023 due to a severe head injury from an accident at the age of 54, leaving behind his wife Sagarika, 19-year-old son, Soroj, and her 17-year-old daughter, Ankita . Unable to come to terms with his untimely demise, Sagarika decided to go for an unconventional yet profoundly personal memorial to fill the void in their life by commissioning a life-size silicone statue of his. She was inspired by Prashant Nayak of Berhampur, who installed a life-size silicon statue of his deceased wife Kiran.
This took the family to Kolkata where a sculptor took nearly two years crafting Samir’s likeness using fiber, rubber, and silicone while dressing him in a formal shirt and trousers. It was brought home on Tuesday (April 2) and installed on a sofa in the living room after a ‘Prana Pratistha’ (infusing life) ritual.
Following which, Sagarika again started wearing bangles and vermilion. She serves him tea along with a newspaper every morning. The family also changes the attire, and positions it in different parts of the house like Samir used to do when he was alive. “I wanted to avoid feeling his absence and the sculptor’s creation has filled the emptiness in our family,” said Sagarika, who runs a medicine shop to support her family.
