My wife Ruby and I have been invited by a local Puja Committee to their 1st meeting for 'Durga Puja_2009.'.The enthusiastic group invited us to their favourite joint from where they have so far got the idols for Durga and Kali Puja.
It was an opportunity to rub shoulder with the artisans and get free access for photography. My photofeatures on Durga and Mahisasura have enjoyed large nos of visits . Here ,I got an opportunity to get a few snaps of the clay-covered initial phases of the Idol-making.
A drive 7 km away from the city and reached the Workshop, lined with idols. The head of the team, Tapan Pal was very open and forth-coming. We avoided the financial part of the idol-making and discussed mostly the way the images have been visualized and being created. Durga idols are in a 35’X40’ covered space , getting ready for being painted. Fighting and cowering figures of ‘Mahisasura’ were in my eye level.
But, capturing the colour of clay , in inadequate space is a problem for the photographer. Use of flash was unavoidable, yet kills the appeal of the shots. The 2nd shed has lots of Ganesha, Saraswati and Kali idols in the making.
The viewers who have enjoyed this photo-feature may please view the following blogs/photos :
- http://cshyamal.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/10/a-photo-feature-on-durgapuja-in-calcutta-2008-part.htm
- http://cshyamal.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/10/a-photofeature-on-durgapuja-in-calcutta-ii-nabami.htm
- http://cshyamal.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/tragedy-of-mahishasur-a-king-who-crossed-his-limit.htm
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/cshyamal/1659208496/
