The oldest profession of all is still paying its due to religious beliefs, even in a city where it barely has a presence!
A handful of Bengalis in Jharkhand’s capital nevertheless keep the tradition alive, with idol-makers wandering in Kolkata in search of mud from brothels every year. The City of Joy’s Sonagachi area, probably the only licensed red light zone in the east, is where most artistes collect mud from the famed ‘courtyards’, considered sacred for the ten-day festival.
“Using brothel mud is for purifying Durga idols. So, we begin this idol-making with the touch of this mud. About one sack of the mud coming from such areas is required during this Akalbodhon Durga Puja time. The same amount is required in the Durga idol of Chaitra month (celebrated in March-April),” said an artiste from Krishnanagar of West Bengal, who had been coming to Ranchi for over a decade to make the idol.
Puja organisers personally visit Sonagachi in June-July and bring mud at exorbitant prices. “In fact, those women themselves gather the mud and keep it for us. Once brought, this dry mud is mixed with other types of mud like ‘poli’ (from the Ganges bank). The mixture is then wet and left for two days. After that, we use it in the idol,” said another idol-maker.
Traditional Durga idol-making commences with touching the mud from the prostitutes, a tradition depicted in Bollywood blockbuster Devdas and in narrations on the festival. “For ages, it has been a compulsory ritual in Durga Puja. It dates back to the time when Durga idols were made at zamindar’s bungalows,” said a Bengali scholar retired from a city college. Others think differently and feel it is an amalgamation of traditions or caused because of mud becoming a precious commodity with time.
One artisan stated, “Onek shomoy, baishya ra bhitorer maati Ma Durga’r protima nirmanor jonno dite chayena, karon tader dharona ei maati debar por taader paap hobe. (At times, prostitutes deny giving mud from their premises for this holy purpose, as they believe that mud contribution for such a reason would be a sin). It has garnered public attention after being shown in movies.”
Nevertheless, the tradition has a strong base. An artiste said many of his customers are not satisfied until the priest touches a bit of this mud while conducting puja, as they cannot be sure the mud was used at the time of making the goddess’ idol.