Kolkata: Now, smallest Durga seeks her place in the sun
While the city went into a tizzy over the ‘World’s Tallest Durga’ at Deshapriya Park, the ‘Smallest Durga’ — that quietly took shape in one corner of Kumartuli — has drawn much less attention despite its creative brilliance.
While the city went into a tizzy over the ‘World’s Tallest Durga’ at Deshapriya Park, the ‘Smallest Durga’ — that quietly took shape in one corner of Kumartuli — has drawn much less attention despite its creative brilliance.
Amit Pal, the 40-year-old professional behind the creation, carved out the half-inchtall goddess on a 50 paise coin. As for Durga’s two daughters and two sons, they took shape on four 10 paise coins.
While the organsiers of the Puja at Deshapriya Park are lobbying with the government and have invited business groups to preserve their idol that has already entered the Limca Book of Records, Amit Pal thinks it is time that the Smallest Durga too got its place in the sun.
Statistically speaking, the Tallest Durga is 88-feet tall, that is 2,112 times the size of the one made in Pal’s studio.
Pal, who says he was always fascinated by things small, told HT, “I think it should feature in the Guinness Book of Records and the Limca Book. It is not fair that only the tallest will get all the attention. The smallest Durga idol has all the minutest details of a standard image of the Goddess.”
Pal started making idols in 2002 and has to his credit a miniature idol of Goddess Kali and one of the football World Cup too.
The idol at Deshapriya Park triggered an unprecedented enthusiasm among pandal-hoppers, with many coming down to Kolkata from as far away as Bihar, Odisha and Assam to catch a glimpse of the idol. The sponsors of the Puja had also unleashed an aggressive publicity campaign in these states, through advertisements in newspapers, TV channels and hoardings.
Pal made 11 Durga idols this year but creating the smallest one was the biggest challenge. While the Tallest Durga was made of fibre glass on a bamboo structure, the Smallest was made of clay with a coat of paint.
