Kochi: If you visit the Durga Puja pandals by Vishwakarma Cultural Association and Keral Banga Samskriti Sangha in this Keralam city, you are sure to get a whiff of Odisha in the festivities.
And why not? Soil from Odisha has been used to make the idols this time, courtesy Baleshwar-based artist Santosh Kumar Saha. “I brought four sacks of soil from Odisha. It is not symbolic. The soil here is grainy, unlike what we get at home in Odisha, which gives the finished idol a smooth coat. The soil gives it a glaze which makes it easier to finish,” Santosh said.
Santosh has been in Kochi for a month, making idols that will not only grace Puja pandals in Kochi, but also Amrita Ashram in Kollam. He has also made idols for Lakshmi Puja, which will be celebrated later this month.
“I have been making idols for many Puja pandals in Odisha for the past 25 years. But this is the first time I have travelled outside the state,” said the first-generation idol-maker. “It is not my family trade. I learnt idol making from other artists,” he added.
Just like Santosh in his family, Vishwakarma Cultural Association has also “broken” a two-decade long-tradition. “We have been hosting Durga Puja for the past 20 years. Every year, we get an idol maker from West Bengal, but this time we opted for Santosh from Odisha. The styles are not very different in Bengal and Odisha; after all, we are neighbours,” association secretary Narayan Patra said.
Santosh arrived in Kochi with one assistant along with four sacks of soil from Odisha, his tools and accessories to make idols.
The work is done, and the artist is happy with how the idols have turned out. The Vishwakarma Association pandal is 12 feet high, while the Keral Banga Samskriti Sangha pandal pieces are a bit smaller.
The 60-year-old Banga Samskriti Sangha idols are ready, complete with ornaments and sari, and are ready to be set up, while the Vishwakarma Association idols will be decorated on site, opposite the South Indian Bank branch at Panampilly Nagar.
After the idols are installed, Santosh and his assistant will travel back home to Baleshwar, until next time.
