Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 21 (ANI): As the festival of Durga Puja approaches, West Bengal residents are coming up with innovative ideas to celebrate the festival such as creating an idol using a large number of chalk pencils.

Artisans from Kolkata have made an idol of Goddess Durga using crores of chalk pencils. A female sculptor Sushila Shaw told ANI that about 5 crore chalk pencils were used to make idols including idols of Lord Ganesha, Kartika, Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati.

"Different types of coloured chalk pencils have been used to make these idols and about 2.5 lakh rupees have been spent in the process. It took one and a half months to make all these idols," Sushila said.

Sushila further said that the structure of the idols was made by men while the five female artisans designed and decorated them with chalk pencils.

"The idea and the concept to make the idol of Maa Durga and other idols belong to our two senior artists Mithun Maity and Swapan Sarkar with whom we are working. We are very happy to do this work and hope that everyone will like these idols.," Sushila said.

"There was a huge challenge for all of us to complete this as it will be the first Maa Durga idol not only in the country but in the world which is made of chalk pencils. Just the final touch is being given after that it will be ready to go to the pandal," she said.

The 10-day festival marks the worship of Goddess Durga. Months before the festival, artisans sculpt idols of Durga and her children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh) using unfired clay.

The festival marks its beginning on the day of Mahalaya when the ritual of 'pran pratistha' is done by painting the eyes of the goddess idol. Sasthi, Saptami, Ashtami...every day the festival has its own significance and set of rituals. The celebrations culminate on the tenth day known as Vijaya Dashami when the idols are immersed in water bodies from where the clay was sourced.This year Durga Puja begins on October 1 with Maha Shashti and will end on October 5 with Maha Dasami.The significance of Durga Puja goes beyond religion and is revered as the celebration of compassion, brotherhood, humanity, art and culture. From the reverberation of 'dhaak' and new clothes to delicious food, there remains a merry-go-round mood during these days. (ANI)