In preparation for this year's Durga Puja celebrations, a team of highly skilled artisans in Ranaghat, Nadia district, West Bengal, is crafting a 125-foot Durga idol, aiming to set a Guinness World Record for the tallest idol of the deity.
Abhiyan Sangh, a resident of Kamalpur village in Ranaghat, works with his team for nearly 12 to 14 hours daily to create the idol using clay, straw, and bamboo. The final shape will be achieved through fiber casting to ensure durability and strength.
Last year, a renowned club in Kolkata set a record with an 88-foot Durga idol, but it was damaged due to overcrowding in the Durga pandal.
To prevent similar damage this year, the artisans will use fiber cast to make the idol more durable and lightweight. They are carefully monitoring the weight to avoid any issues during rotation.
In addition to the 125-foot Durga idol, 40-foot tall idols of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, and Ganesha will also be created.
Durga Puja is a significant festival in India, celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Bengali community in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Odisha, and Bihar.
The festival symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, as mythological beliefs state that Goddess Durga defeated the demon Mahishasur on this auspicious day.
Durga Puja is a 10-day celebration that begins on the sixth day, marking the arrival of Goddess Durga on Earth.