Vizag Decks Up for Dasara, Citizens Embrace the Navaratri Spirit

Visakhapatnam: The port city of Visakhapatnam has transformed into a festive hub for the Dasara Navaratri. The entire city is buzzing with excitement for the nine-day Navaratri festivities, with streets adorned and communities coming together to celebrate the triumph of good over evil.

Adding a unique dimension to this year's celebrations, SV Entertainments, renowned for their Guinness World Record-setting Ganesh idols, has created an 18-foot Durga idol using traditional materials. The massive sculpture has been crafted entirely from haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermillion), with a base of chandan (sandalwood).

"We have ground the turmeric sticks sourced from Paderu to create this magnificent idol," explained Ganesh, a committee member, while talking to this correspondent; "Artist Srikanth from Chirala has worked on this project, utilising a total of 2,000 kilogrammes of haldi and kumkum."

Unlike traditional water immersion, this grand idol will be immersed using milk after the nine-day festivities. A smaller three-foot Utsav Murthi (processional deity) will be placed in front of the larger idol, which will participate in the palaki seva (palanquin procession) on the ninth day, moving through various streets of the city.

J. Chakrovorty, general secretary of the Bengali Association, told this correspondent that under the auspices of Sarbojanin and East Coast Railway Durga Puja Committee, the divisional railway manager will inaugurate their ceremony on September 27 at 7.30 a.m. amid unprecedented grandeur. The celebrations will feature a cleanliness drive, followed by cultural programmes, including by Zee Bangla artists. It will culminate with Santanu from Bombay on Navami night.

There are idol crafters from Bengal who have made Visakhapatnam their seasonal home for over two decades. Leading them is Binay Pal, a master artisan who began his journey at the age of 14 years and has been coming to Vizag since the year 2000.

"This is my 50th year in this field and my 25th year creating idols in Visakhapatnam," Binay stated. His dedication to the craft spans half a century. "Every year, my team and I travel from Kolkata in May and spend nearly five months here, creating authentic Kolkata-style clay idols," he disclosed.

This year, Binay's workshop has produced 125 idols, with 116 already finding homes. The craftsmanship comes with a premium, with idol prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2 lakh.

Remarkably, a family in the Old Post Office area, originally from Kolkata, is celebrating its 96th Durga Puja this year. It has commissioned a special Rs 2 lakh idol to commemorate this milestone.