Nayan with the Durga idol made of rajma. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Sept. 3: Nayanjyoti Das makes Durga idols not for a living but for a cause.

The Class XII student of Nilnalini Vidyamandir is making four idols this year — the material being made of cane, rajma (kidney beans), glass-piece and jute threads and ribbons.

“I have a passion for making idols and this time I hope to get some money from the clubs which have ordered them. I have decided to donate the proceeds to the Siliguri Welfare Organisation so that it can be sent to Bihar to help the flood victims there,” Nayan said. “After seeing on television the hardship the people of the state have been facing, I thought I should contribute for the cause.”

The 18-year-old had first made a Durga idol with threads and buttons four years ago. The next year he made it with beads.

“In the past two years, I had made idols with corn and thermocol, which attracted some local clubs. Although they had bought the idols from me, they did not pay me full,” said the resident of Hakimpara.

Shipra Das, a retired Bengali teacher of Deshbandhu Vidyapith, helped her son with Rs 50,000 in his endeavour this year. She hopes that Nayan would be lucky enough this time to get the money from the clubs.

Nayan, however, said he was not making idols for profit. “The money I had received from the clubs in the past was donated to my school’s managing committee for poor students.”

Parthasarathi Das, the headmaster of the government-aided school where Nayan is studying in the arts stream, said initially his mother was reluctant about his pursuing the art. “But I and some of my colleagues have requested her to encourage him since he has a talent which will be useful in future.”

Nayan had started making clay models when he was barely seven years. “He used to play sarod at the age of four. But before attaining five, he left playing the instrument and concentrated on drawing. A couple of years later, his focus shifted to making idols,” said Shipra, who had retired in July. “As he was very naughty in his childhood, I engaged him with something constructive.”

After he lost his father at the age of four, Nayan was brought up by his two aunts beside the mother.

Although Nayan loves to make Durga idols, his mother does not use any of his creations at their home during Puja. “After all, we are not the Pals (the professional artisans) from Kumartuli so we buy idols from outside,” Shipra said with the son by her side.