Shola Jewellery By Bengal Women To Adorn Goddess Durga
A traditional Bengal zamindar’s mansion will be recreated at NTR Stadium for one of Hyderabad’s oldest Durga Puja celebrations: Reports
HYDERABAD: A traditional Bengal zamindar’s mansion will be recreated at NTR Stadium for one of Hyderabad’s oldest Durga Puja celebrations this year. Inside the mandap, Goddess Durga will wear shola jewellery handcrafted by women artisans from rural West Bengal and carry ten gold‑plated weapons. Hyderabad Bangalee Samity is preparing for its 85th celebrations with five days of rituals, cultural performances and bhog for 15,000 devotees daily.
Established in 1942, the Samity has chosen the traditional ‘Ek Chala’ form for the idol, with Durga alongside Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartikeya and Ganesh. The idols will be made from Ganga clay, husk, bamboo and natural colours, dressed in Banarasi saris and Jamdani textiles from Krishnanagar.
The goddess’s ornaments are being prepared by women of the Malakar community, who traditionally work with shola, a wetland plant. The Samity said it continues to use the material to preserve the custom despite its decline. The ten weapons symbolise those used by Durga to defeat Mahishasura.
Three pavilions are planned at the stadium opposite Indira Park: one for the idol, another for annadanam and bhog distribution, and a third for cultural programmes.
Artists from Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad will perform during the festival.
“Durga Puja offers a vital opportunity to unplug from the virtual world and immerse in real‑world community celebrations,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, vice‑chairman of the HBS Durgotsav Committee. “It is a moment to seek mental clarity, spiritual purification and inner strength.”
Religious observances from Maha Shashti to Maha Dasami will include Sandhi Puja, homam and pushpanjali. The celebrations will conclude with Dashami Alai Balai, during which devotees exchange jammi leaves as a gesture of goodwill.
The Samity expects visitors from the Telugu states, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Organisers said permissions for traffic, law and order, and electricity supply were in place.
