Goddess Durga wears 22kg GOLD designer sari worth Rs 6.5 crore at this Kolkata pandal

All the idols at Santosh Mitra Square Durga Puja are wearing ensembles designed by fashion designer Agnimitra Paul. (Source: Express photo by Partha Paul)

Durga Puja in Kolkata is more about grandeur and creativity than rituals. As the city kicks off the biggest gala of the year, hundreds have been heading towards London! Well, we don’t mean booking flight tickets, but this version of London that’s in North Kolkata. Set foot in Santosh Mitra Square, and you find yourself amidst the iconic London Bridge, Big Ben, London Eye and Buckingham Palace — all this at Sealdah Park.

IN PICS | Durga Puja 2017: Gorgeous Kolkata Pujo pandals

And that’s not all. Inside this gorgeous Buckingham Palace replica there something that has never been done before. All the idols at this pandal are wearing haute couture by Agnimitra Paul for the club’s 82nd celebrations. And Ma Durga idol adorns a sari made of pure gold! Yes, using more than 22kg of 22-carat gold, artisans from Bengal have crafted a beautiful sari with intricate embroidery. Along with floral motifs, butterflies, birds, a giant peacock has been embossed on the sari. Studded with gemstones, there is minakaari work as well.

Over two-and-half months, 50 artisans worked tirelessly to execute the extravagant outfit by the Kolkata-based fashion designer. Pradip Ghosh, president of the puja committee, told indianexpress.com that they wanted to do something unique this year and that’s when when his son and general secretary, Sajal Gosh, suggested this idea.

The entire sari has been made with gold and no cloth has been used. The pink embroidered border was added only after the gold cast was set on the idol. (Source: Express photo by Partha Paul)

“We have seen, gods being decorated with gold jewellery and dresses made with gold zari. But never before has an entire outfit been crafted with pure gold,” Ghosh said, over the telephone.

But it wasn’t just about thinking out of the box. A veteran jeweller for decades and former president of the Swarna Shilpa Bachao Committee, Ghosh said one purpose of this initiative was also to put the skills of Bengal gold artisans in limelight. “I have been part of many jewellery exhibitions worldwide, and also have seen people around the world showing great interest in the intricate and delicate design of Bengal jewellers. With this elaborate and one-of-its-kind sari, we want to show the world how talented our artisans are,” the local Trinamool Congress leader said, adding, “It gives me great joy and satisfaction, that the hard work has paid off and people have lauded the work of Bengal artists.”

With many precious gemstones, the sari has motifs of flowers, butterflies and peacocks. (Source: Express photo by Partha Paul)

Saying that there are more than 1.3 lakh artisans directly or indirectly associated with this industry in Bengal, Ghosh hopes, this exposure will help bring them a brighter future.

The gold for the sari has been sponsored by Senco Gold and Diamond, and the chief artisans of the jewellery chain collaborated with Paul to take up this mammoth challenge. “As this has never been done before, Agnimitra (Paul) and artists Govinda and Pappu took this as a challenge to do something extraordinary.” The idols – created with finesse and skill – have been crafted by famous Kumortuli artist Mintu Pal, along with some of the best goldsmiths in the state.

Theme of this puja is ‘London’, and thus a replica of Buckingham Palace has been built as the main mandap. London Bridge and Big Ben can also be seen here. (Source: Express photo by Partha Paul)

The idols have been placed inside a mandap that has been built as a replica of Britain’s Buckingham Palace, with massive chandeliers and Renaissance-inspired paintings decked on the walls. While the decor may showcase British icons, the centre-point of the idol is all about highlighting Bengal’s rich heritage.

Inside the pavlion, big portraits can been seen give a vibe of erstwhile colonial era. (Source: Express photo by Partha Paul)