Tucked away on a small street off Cathedral Road, this camp might be entirely innocuous but for the trucks moving in and out.
It is here at Damodaran Street, Gopalapuram, that clay and soil from different places are moulded into beautiful figurines for the upcoming festivals of Navarathri and Durga Puja.
A group of Bengali artisans have been camping in the city since August to make the idols of various deities.
Led by Kishori Mohan Pal, who has travelled to the city for the season for the past three decades, the artisans spend the larger part of their day making hay moulds of the figurines, and casting and painting them.
K. Deben Pal, a graduate who has taken up his father’s trade, says: “We come here during Krishna Jayanthi every year. We prefer Chennai as more people give us orders and there is less competition here. We bring truck loads of sand from the river Ganga and white soil from Kolkata.”
It takes almost a month for an idol to be made. Besides ones of Ganesha, the camp has several idols of Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Durga and Viswakarma lined up for finishing touches.
“We are particular in using only water colours as the idols are immersed in the sea after the ceremony,” adds Mr. Deben Pal. The idols are then decorated with various materials, including zari , and transported to different places such as Tambaram, Poonamallee, Tirupathi and Vellore.
Priced between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 70,000 according to the size and intricacy of the artwork, the idols will be up for sale till October.
“With our earnings during these three months, we will be able to provide for our families back home for nearly a year,” says Mr. Mohan Pal.
