Source: www.hindu.com
INDIA, September 13, 2009: A day in the life of an murti maker is marked by strict self-discipline, both physical and mental. “We bathe at dawn, get into fresh clothes and say a small prayer before embarking on murti making as often our work require us to stand/ stamp/ climb the murtis. We also try and abstain from all worldly addictions in this period,” says Biswajeet Pal, one of Vishwanath’s chief helpers.
Stretched over many months, the procedure of making murtis for Nvaratri is an elaborate one. It involves creating a basic structure with straw or jute and applying wet clay onto this. Fleshing out the body comes next followed by paring and patting the limbs into shape. The entire body surface is then smoothed. A coat of flesh-colored paint is applied and the lips and nails painted a bright red. “The sacred texts describe the goddess as having ‘a complexion like unbeaten gold or morning sunshine and long eyes that stretch till the ears.’ We religiously follow these specifications,” says Vishwanath explaining the distinctive features of the mother goddess.
With budgets running into lakhs of rupees and organizers vying with each other for the awards announced by local sponsors, artisans have gone to extraordinary lengths to get noticed, but for Shashi Pal there are other things that are more important. “When a devotee looks up at the image, unless he is filled with a sense of awe and wonder about the tremendous power of the divine, I have failed as an artist,” he says.