A traditional form of adorning Durga is slowly being replaced by fusion design and trends.
For centuries now, Durga has been adorned in ‘Sholar Daker Shaj’ or the soft wood ornaments in the community puja — better known as Palli Puja — of rural Bengal. However, in recent years the goddess’ ornamental decorations of traditional ‘Daker Shaj’ have become expensive. Due to experimentation with theme Pujas and the substantial budgets that Puja organisers have, the once popular ornamental decoration is being replaced by more expensive and lustrous beads, stone, zari works with more emphasis on fusion design and latest trends.
This typical ornamental form of Durga is believed to have originated in Krishnanagar in the Hooghly district of Bengal. The zamindars and moneylenders during the days of the Raj would decorate idols with expensive materials like malleable silver and gold sheets that were imported from Germany through postal services or ‘Dak’ from where it derives its name. “These imported decorative materials were then dispatched via the ‘Dak’ service and got its name ‘Daker Shaj’ ,” says noted Bengali novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay. It is characterised by the distinct curved rectangular headgear of the goddess with floral motifs and geometrical designs.
“Earlier the accessories were manufactured in Kumar Tuli but as there has been steep fall in demand, we outsource it from the Burdwan district of Bengal,” says K C Pal, owner of Kali Mata Stores, a dealer of decorative items for Durga Puja. “The softwood decorations are becoming almost obsolete,” rues Pal. The accessories include the headgear, jewellery, the dress and the ‘Chala’ or the backdrop which varies in prices depending upon the material. “Shola Daker Shaj costs around Rs 25,000, while a supreme quality Daker Shaj of silver and golden tin foil would cot about Rs 80,000,” says Shambhunath Malalkar, an artisan at Kumar Tuli.
However, due to extreme competition in the market the sellers are forced to fix a profit margin of 10 to 20 per cent. “The industry is reeling under tremendous labour crunch as it is a seasonal vocation with less profit,” explains Pal.
Although Daker Shaj is becoming obsolete in the city, it still has a considerable demand from outside Bengal. “We export idols with Daker Shaj to Assam, Bihar, Delhi and Maharashtra” says Malakar. “NRIs, on the other hand, prefer Sholar Daker Shaj over any other material as softwood is lighter and convenient to transport” opines Gangopadhay. Amal Chattapadhyay, the priest of Madox Square in south Kolkata, says, “The vedic text gives details of the goddess but the accessories and decorations reflect the local flavour.”
Daker Shaj, like many other traditional cultural attainments of Bengal, is facing the challenges of modernity where constant change is the order of the day. Fusion theme art is taking over the traditional art of Bengal. Perhaps, even the Goddess is getting more experimental to keep pace with time.
