Barisal artisans honoured

Artisans with their crests at the programme.Photo: STAR

A reception ceremony to honour the 'Paul' and 'Kumar' (potters) was held for the first time in Barisal recently.
Rakhal Chandra Dey, president of Barisal District Puja Udjapon Parishad, presided over the ceremony. The venue was the Dhama Rakkhini Sabha Griha in the city, where 48 crests were conferred among 13 Pauls and their 35 assistants.
Binod Paul, on behalf of the idol craftsmen, said that although the profession has been passed down generations for hundreds of years, their economic conditions and livelihoods have been severely impacted.
“Many of us have abandoned this noble profession. The need of the hour is institutional and economic support so that this tradition does not become extinct,” he said.
Barisal District Puja Udjapon Parishad with the help of Charukala Barisal, a leading fine arts institution of the city, organised the programme addressed by Manik Mukharjee Kudu, Fani Bhushan Das, Shanti Chakroborty, leaders of the Parishad; Atikur Rahman, Shahid Kabir and artisan Binod Kumar Paul.
Manik Mukharjee asserted that a team of five/six people needs 18-20 days to make a big idol, while a smaller idol takes 14-16 days. The sculptors' fees can range from Taka 10,000 to 25,000 and the materials are usually supplied by the mandap committee.
The five-day celebration of 'Sharodiya Durga Puja,' the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community, ended recently. There were around 30 mandap in the city.
Puja mandap were beautifully decked with elaborate decorations and colourful lights, while cultural functions were held in almost every mandap.