Idol-maker's illness, July deaths spell muted puja celebrations at Bagerhat's Shikder Bari this year
"Many had died during the recent uprising. I couldn't make myself organise a massive celebration while the nation still mourns the dead. That's why I didn't arrange puja on a big scale this year," said Liton Shikder, the key organiser of this puja
Bagerhat's Shikder Bari, known as the mandap that organised one of the biggest Durga Puja celebration in the subcontinent in 2019, will not be holding a massive celebration this time around due to the illness of the main idol-maker and deaths in the July uprising.
Visiting Shikder Bari yesterday (3 October) afternoon, this correspondent found pin-drop silence there. The gate of the puja mandap was locked.
"Many had died during the recent uprising. I couldn't make myself organise a massive celebration while the nation still mourns the dead. That's why I didn't arrange puja on a big scale this year," said Liton Shikder, the key organiser of this puja, when contacted over the phone.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"However, our family will hold a small ceremony marking the event," he added.
Gaurab Shikder, a close associate of Liton Shikder, said, "There won't be a grand Durga puja celebration at Shikder Bari this year due to the illness of the main idol-maker and the work of creating idols remaining incomplete."
He added that Durga Puja celebration at Shikder Bari is a much-talked-about subject that extends well beyond the country's border.
"Around 15-20 artisans create the idols over a period of six months. But as the main idol-maker fell ill and was taken to India for treatment, the work remained incomplete. That's why there won't be any massive puja celebration this year," Gaurab said.
In 2011, Shikder Bari organised Durga Puja for the first time with 251 idols. In 2019, the number increased to 801.
The number of idols started to decrease since the Covid-19 pandemic.
