Artisan Pradip Kumar Ghose makes idols from rubber tubes of motorcycles in Dhubri. Picture by Bijoy Kr Sharma

Dhubri, Sept. 30: Like every year, this time too there is something new for Puja revellers in Dhubri town.

Besides well-decorated and illuminated pandals, idols made of rubber tubes of motorcycles by amateur artisan Pradip Kumar Ghose here will be an added attraction for pandal-hoppers.

Ghose, who has been creating innovative idols of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh since 1992, has tried to give shape to gods and goddesses with motorcycle tubes this time.

“Idols have been made in south-Indian style where most of the gods and goddesses are made of black marble. Those are entirely distinct from idols made elsewhere in India,” Ghose said while adding finishing touches to his creations. Explaining his idea for using motorcycle tubes for making idols, he said to give perfect effect to the idols of south-Indian style, no other material except tubes of motorcycles would have been suitable.

Asked what inspired him most to create idols all these years, Ghose, a graduate, said his imagination is his strength and what he visualises he transforms those into reality without looking at pictures or posters of gods and goddesses. He said blessings of “Ma Durga” have kept him busy in idol-making over the past 22 years.

It is the sixth creation by Ghose which has been installed in the pandal of Vivekananda Club in Balurchar .

Ghose said he had spent three-and-a-half months and used 150 rubber tubes for making the idols.

The artiste’s few prominent creations are idols made of fibres of ridge gourd (bhol), bread (roti), mineral water bottles, cartons (hardboard) and ropes which were widely admired by people.

This year, two community Puja organisers — Number 4 ward Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee and Usha Sangha in wards 11 and 12 — are celebrating their golden jubilees. Replica of Red Fort at P.C. Barua Maidan and Kailash can been seen in Santinagar of Dhubri town.