An idol of Goddess Durga decorated with 30kg of golden Chinigura paddy sheaves at the Bagmara Tetultala Sarbajanin Puja Mandir in Khulna city has drawn large crowds during this year’s Sharadiya festival.
The organisers have used paddy sheaves as the idol’s main decoration for the first time in the history of Sarbajanin Puja celebrations in Khulna city.
The design reflects farmers’ hard work, crop prosperity and rural life. Of around 70 puja mandaps in the city, Bagmara Tetultala is the only one featuring a paddy-adorned idol.
Established in 1972, the temple previously attracted attention in 1998 and 1999 by installing an electrical mechanism inside an idol to simulate a lion’s roar.
This year, four artisans worked for 40 days to complete the idol at a cost of Tk1,60,000, making it the most expensive idol in Khulna this season.
Organisers said they chose the design in response to requests from visitors and local residents for something different.
Subrata Sarkar, a member of the temple management committee, said, “Everyone used to say, ‘Please do something different this time.’ To win everyone’s heart, we made the paddy idol this year. It took us about one month and ten days. This idol was built at the highest cost of Tk1,60,000 among all idols in Khulna. Assuming a massive gathering of visitors, we are making every effort to manage everything.”
Another committee member said the decoration was made possible through the combined efforts of young people, the temple committee and organisers, and invited families to visit.
Pintu Kumar Biswas, a veteran committee member, said, “In our ancient temple at Tetultala, we created an idol with a lion’s roar in 1998–’99, and this time we created a paddy idol. Seeing this, everyone from visitors to young and old is immensely happy and delighted. We are extremely joyful at the unprecedented response and encouragement given by the visitors.”
Paddy plays a vital role in Bangladesh’s economy and rural life. The golden sheaves adorning Goddess Durga reflect the connection between Bengal’s agricultural heritage and its people, while introducing younger generations to traditional folk art.
