From Dhubri To The World: A Modern Take On Durga Idols

Mandip Paul, a fine arts graduate from Delhi University and a teacher at a leading educational institution in Assam, is aiming to bring an artistic revolution to his family’s traditional Hindu idol-making business.

Since the 1970s, Mandip’s family has been involved in making Durga idols in Dhubri, a town in Western Assam. Their pottery factory, Vivekananda Studio, has a rich history, started by Mandip’s grandfather, Narayan Chandra Paul. The Paul family has been dedicated to this tradition for generations, creating Durga and various Hindu idols.

Currently teaching at the renowned Don Bosco School in Guwahati, Mandip frequently travels between Guwahati and Dhubri to balance his teaching responsibilities with his artistic endeavors.

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Mandip said, “I am not doing this to gain monetary rewards. I joined this family tradition to carry on my grandfather’s rich legacy. This time, we are constructing Durga idols with an artistic point of view; trying new styles, including specific Bengali styles like Kolkata’s Kumartuli. We have also built the highest Durga idol in the Nataraj style.”

“Perhaps in the near future, we might start a startup business based on our family tradition of making idols,” he added.

Through his efforts, Mandip aims to blend tradition with modern artistry in idol-making, ensuring that his family’s legacy continues to thrive.

Interestingly, another artist from Dhubri, Pradip Kumar Ghosh, unveiled a Goddess Durga idol fashioned out of over 8,000 discarded plastic bottle caps during the Navratri festival. The five-foot-tall idol symbolizes sustainability and aims to raise awareness about environmental issues. Ghosh, known for creating eco-friendly idols for over a decade, has previously used materials like sugarcane waste and cycle tubes. His latest creation, to be displayed at Charmian Road’s Durga Puja Pandal, highlights the urgent issue of plastic pollution.

“This year’s idol carries a message about environmental change. Art should not only be beautiful but also meaningful,” Ghosh said. His work has been widely praised for promoting sustainability, and his idol is expected to spark conversations on art and environmental responsibility.

Ghosh stated, “I have crafted the Durga idol from waste, and this year’s theme of the Navratri festival is based on environmental consciousness. The idol is huge and seeks to raise awareness about climate issues. Through my art, every year I try to send a message, and this year, too, the message about environmental issues is loud and clear. I am a school teacher and craft Durga idols from plastic waste products for exhibition. This plastic waste causes pollution. If we can create an item from waste and keep it in our homes, then we can decrease pollution.”

Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Sharadotsav, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent that reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga, celebrating her victory over Mahishasura. It is particularly celebrated in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Odisha, and by Hindus in Bangladesh.

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