Goddess Durga skips satin wear for 'desi gumcha'

Varanasi, Sep 15 (UNI) In a regional twist to traditional Durga Puja celebrations in the holy city, one of the Goddess Durga idols here will dress up in the rough and rustic 'gumcha' instead of the conventional silk and satin attire.

Yet others would be resplendent in the world famous Banarasi silk sarees to save its weavers from the demon of a market slump currently affecting them.

"It is an effort to give the much needed 'desi' colour to the Puja celebrations in the city, especially when some quarters are claiming that Durga Puja in Varanasi was bearing a semblance of world famous celebrations in West Bengal," said Manoranjan Pal, leading the team of artisans crafting idols for ten Puja pandals in the city.

The "Gumcha" is a rough cloth that serves a variety of purposes ranging from covering the head to being thrown across the shoulder or tied around the waist.

"We have been camping here for Puja for the last 16 years and every time the local idol-makers have accused us of aping the colour of Bengal in Varanasi. This is why we decided this year to dress up the Benglachal idol of the Goddess with the Desi Gumcha, the trademark symbol of Banarasi and Bihari culture," he added.

While the Goddess will dress up in scarlet Gumcha, her companions --Ganesha will wear yellow, Saraswati in white, Kartikeya in maroon and Goddess Lakshmi will be decked up in pink. Even the demon Mahisasur will don desi costume--a green Gumcha.

Over 150 Gumchas will be used for the entire idol, including the figurines in the background, Manoranjan added.

The idol will be housed in the puja pandal of Swar Sangit Club in Chetganj area of the city.

Meanwhile, an idol maker in Debonathpura locality here is dressing up the idols of Goddess Durga with the Banarasi Saree, whose weavers are presently facing a market slump.

"I have decided to dress up the Durga idols this time with Banarasi Sarees costing Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 for giving the celebrations the signature silken touch of Varanasi. Besides, this will also lend a helping hand to the saree weavers residing in Lohta area of the city, who are presently in an appalling state owing to slump in the market," Gopal Chandra Dey said. His team is at present busy draping as many as 32 idols.

UNI ARS NK ND1318