Marred festivities: bandhs and statehood agitation to blame

SNS, Kurseong, 9 October 2013: The recent bandhs and the Gorkhaland agitation has affected the festive season in the Hills but amidst this melancholic situation, Kumhars, makers of clay idols of Goddesses, in Kalimpong are still hopeful regarding the trade of their traditional deity idols. 

Like previous years, this year too, several Kumhars from different places from the plains region have converged recently in Kalimpong with readymade idols of Goddess Durga and other gods and goddesses for sale in this festive season in the Hills. 

But even after Durga Puja has begun with the advent of Navratri, the idols are yet in demand like previous years. But the sellers of the idols are still hopeful that all their idols they have painstakingly made and brought with great care to the Hills will be sold off by the end of Saptami which is only two days away. One Kumhar said that for the past several decades we have been coming here and selling different deity idols in Kalimpong on different occasions and on festive seasons. 

Meanwhile, after the announcement by the then ruling dispensation ~ the GNLF, a decade ago, that henceforth pujas should be done not on clay deities but on stones only, our business floundered and we stopped coming to the Hills for a brief period. But afterwards, once the mud idols started to be worshiped again, we started making forays into Kalimpong with mud idols like in yesteryears. 

He also said that we know that due to the recent bandhs and the Gorkhaland agitation the festive season has been affected in the Hills. Yet we are hopeful that within Saptami all the idols will be completed and sold off. 

Notably, on Saptami of Navratri, the idols of goddess Durga kept in pedestals with their faces covered is finally unwrapped and her puja rituals observed with full enthusiasm. He also informed that besides the small idols which are available at lesser prices, we also have large Durga idols costing Rs 5,000 to 12,000. 

The ruling GJMM party of the Hills has also announced that the Hills people should observe Dusshera in a mild way in support of the Gorkhaland agitation. As per its chief Mr Bimal Gurung, the minority communities of the Hills have not observed their respective festivals in a full-fledged manner in support of the agitation this year. Now the question arises, are the Kumhars, making a beeline to different places in the Hills, year after year, with their sets of handmade clay idols of various idols to sell it during the occasion of festive seasons, being affected like the Hills people. 

Some section of the people said that no matter what, one thing is assured that these small group of inconspicuous people from the plains brings a fresh breath of festivity to the Hills every year along with their idols.