Guwahati idol-makers anxiously await end of rains to complete Durga idols

An anxious Ratan Paul peeks towards the entrance of his smoke-filled workshop in Guwahati's Pandu area, hoping to catch a bright ray of sunlight without the raindrops cutting it out.

Paul claims not to have witnessed such a long spell of incessant rains in his career of nearly 50 years as a sculptor of idols as he, like other idol-makers in Assam's largest city, pray to the heavens to clear the weather so that they can complete their Durga idols in time.

"I have been in this profession for 49 years now and never has it rained for so long before Durga Puja. We are really worried about how to complete the idols," Paul told PTI while giving the finishing touches to special decorative pieces of clay for the idols at his workshop.

"We are using firewood, coal and even burners connected to LPG cylinders to dry the idols," he said, pointing to the sculpted idols being placed in groups around lit stoves with the smoke filling the entire workshop.

Paul's son, Kanchan, who joined his family business after graduation, added, "We are at wit's end on how to finish the work properly. We have to move on to the painting now and the sculptures are not even dry yet."

The Paul's workshop has about 20 orders this year, all from Guwahati barring one that needs to be delivered to Nalbari, about 70 km from here.

They have hired seven to nine additional hands to assist them to meet the Puja orders, as they do annually, while a couple of others are employed on a regular basis.

Sharing their anxiety is Ranjan Paul, a workman at a nearby workshop that is run by a couple.

"I am from Goalpara and am here for the Puja orders. We have four orders for Durga idols this year and are hard pressed to finish on time as rains have played havoc," he said, as he continued polishing off an idol.

"The owners of this workshop, a husband-and-wife couple, are working day and night with us. We can only hope that the weather clears up a bit," Ranjan added, even as a light drizzle continued pattering on the tarpaulin sheet used to cover the front side of the shop.

Blue tarpaulin sheets cover the front of all idol-making workshops in Pandu as the workers scurry to complete the idols, with rains refusing to stop giving them anxious time.

Faces fraught with concern, their hands move with dexterity in bringing alive the idols of clay in the form of Goddess Durga and her entourage as they sound confident of meeting the deadlines.

"We have made a commitment to deliver by Panchami and we will do so. Gods will help us, we know," Ratan Paul added optimistically.

As per the Regional Meteorological Centre, Guwahati, the city has received 106.4 mm of rain this month so far.

It has forecast generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers till October nine, with prediction for rain or thunderstorm for October 10-11 in its weekly weather report for Guwahati.

The city has been receiving rain for the past few days, also leading to waterlogging problems in many parts.