Guwahati, Oct. 12: Innovation seems to be his middle name and this 35-year-old artisan from Basugaon, in Chirang district, seems to be raising the bar every autumn.
If it was steel and aluminium last year and sea shells the year before, this year, Sanjoy Chanda has chosen to "keep pace with time" with compact discs and wall clocks adorning one of his idols here. What's more, another creation for a Puja committee in Athgaon will have the goddess adorned with wooden ice cream spoons.
On Mahalaya today, Chanda, who is "conjuring" up nine innovative idols this year at his workshop, sounded optimistic that his work would get noticed this Puja too.
"This is the third year that I have made (an idol) for the Chatribari Debo Puja Sthan Committee in Guwahati. The 14-foot idol comprises 1,500 compact discs and 140 wall clocks and it has taken about four months to complete. The discs and the glass in the clocks will give the idols glaze and sheen," Chanda said.
"Along with this, another idol, made of wooden ice-cream sticks, will be transported to Guwahati on Friday," he said.
On the verge of completing his idols for committees in Barpeta Road, Basugaon, Gauripur (Dhubri) and some parts of Bengal, Chanda is, however, particular about keeping his creations at an "achievable level".
"I stick to a limited quota as time is a factor and quality and finishing matter. Last year, I chose to make just six only. The profit margins are enough to make ends meet. More than the money, it's the passion to make unique idols every year that keeps me motivated," Chanda, who has completed 12 years of "innovative" idol making, said.
Jishu Das, secretary of the organising committee of Chatribari Debo Puja Sthan, says the footfall at the pandal has increased substantially in the past three years.
"The footfall has swollen since we decided to resort to unique and innovative idols in 2013. Last year, on all the days the ambience was chock-a-block till late at night. Not just idols, we give our pandals an innovative spin as well. Last year, it was the dhol, this year it will replicate the pyramids of Egypt," Das told The Telegraph .
The Rehabari Bilpar Puja committee is once again taking the green route. "We had coconut midrib the previous year. We have chosen paddy this year. Nitya Biswas, an experienced hand, from Nagaon is the man behind it," Bapan Roy, secretary of the committee, said.
Chatribari, Athgaon along with Rehabari Bilpar are among a select few Pujas here to take the innovative route.
As for the immersion, Das said the committee is yet to decide. "We might preserve the idol. As it is, till now we have taken care not to cause any harm to the environment," he said.
According to guidelines set by the Pollution Control Board, Assam, only natural clay, bamboo, choir ropes, straw and non-toxic colours can be used on the idols instead of baked clay, plaster of Paris and synthetic ropes.
In Kamrup (metro) district alone, over 500 pandals are gearing up to attract the crowds.
Unlike Chanda, the Pals on College Hostel Road, Panbazar, have some catching up to do even as growing costs take a toll on their profits.
The oldest idol-makers of Guwahati have cut down on the orders in the past four years. "Overhead costs have doubled and so we have cut down on the orders, from 33 idols in 2013 to 23 last year to 15 this year," said Chittaranjan Pal, 81, of Lakhi Xilpaloy.
