Preparations for the five-day celebration of Sharadiya Durgotsab, the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindus, are going on in full swing in the Barisal city and other parts of the region. However high price of raw materials used for making idols and rainy weather coupled with increase in other costs, may affect this year’s celebrations, said Rkhal Chandra Dey, president of the District Puja Udjapan Parishad.
The festival will start on October 10 at more than 500 puja-mandaps (alter) of the district including 34 in the city.
It will conclude with immersion of the idols and images of the deities in different rivers and canals amid exchange of greetings of ‘Bijoya Dashami’ on October 14, a government holiday close to Eid-ul-Azha festival of the Muslims this year, Rakhal Chandra added.
The Barisal district and city Puja Udjapon Parishad sources said the number of Durga Puja mandaps in the city and district were 426 in 2008, 355 in 2009 and 362 in 2010, and 445 in 2011, 547 in 2012.
This year the number of mandaps would be increased at least five per cent as there would be enough time for making idols, they said.
Local people are already burdened with high prices of necessary commodities while farmers did not get fair price of their harvest this season.
‘So we are getting very little amounts of donation from them for the Puja,’ said Swapan Datta, City Puja Udjapon Parishad president
Anil Pal of Pirojpur Palpara, one of the busy team leaders of idol artisans at Ramakrishna Mission, Church Ward and Katpotty puja mandaps of the city, said at least five to eight people need 18-20 days for making a large ‘pratima’ (image) while the smaller ones take 15-16 days.
The cost varies between Tk 15 thousand and Tk 45 thousand according to the size of the idols, said Netai Pal and his team coming from Faridpur working at eight mandaps including Jagannath Dev Mandir, Falpatty Mandir in the city.
Lodging and feedings are provided by the mandap committee, said Dhiman Pal of Kalaskathi under Bakerganj upazila in Barisal.
Prices of the raw materials like clays, straws, bamboos, cloths, ropes and colours and other things used for making the idols have increased by 20 to 30 per cent compared to last year, said Binoy Pal of Pirojpur making idols at Karikar Biri and Charch Ward mandaps of the city.
Shohidul Alam, deputy commissioner Barisal, said the administration would allot special financial grants for the mandaps while special security, uninterrupted power and water supply, traffic control arrangements would be made for the convenience of worshipers and visitors during the festival.
-With New Age input
