Over 6 yrs of idol making tradition; Behali’s widow keeps her husbands’ legacy alive

Biswanath Chariali, Sept 27: Idol maker (murtikaar) Urmila Paul of Behali in Biswanath district is very busy these days as she has been gearing up for the upcoming Durga Puja.

Despite being a single woman after the death of her husband a few years ago, she has fought on and plunged into the idol-making work taught by her husband as a way of earning her livelihood.

By doing this, the woman is also supporting her uncle and nephew along with herself. Urmila, who hails from an interior village called Nakonia Pathar under Behali co-district, started working in the idol-making craft with her husband after marriage. She learned to make the idols of different gods and goddesses from her husband before she lost her husband a few years later.

Urmila has been busy day and night for the last two months to ensure timely delivery of the idols ordered by various Durga Puja committees across the greater Behali area.

With the advent of every Durga Puja season, Urmila starts to give life to the idols with her creative hands. She said that this season, the beginning was done by making idols of Goddess Manasa. She said, “My husband had been doing this work for 20 to 22 years, but I began doing it alone after the death of my husband six years ago.”

She further said that she set up a small industry at home at the beginning and started earning some money by making idols of various gods and goddesses on her own. She also disclosed that due to the increasing prices of the materials used in the making of idols – such as clay, pulses, sand, paddy straw, adhesive, etc., the cost of making an idol has now soared high and it costs between Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 to make an idol.

Urmila expressed anguish over the fact that she does not get proper prices for the idols she makes, and urged upon the government to lend a helping hand to artisans like her.

By Correspondent