100-Handed Durga Idol Installed in Sunderbans to Pray for Jobs

An idol with 100 hands was erected by the Durga Puja organizing committee in Hingalganj, Sunderbans, to draw attention to the necessity of creating jobs in Bengal.

A local craftsman who conceptualized and constructed Durga's appearance in an attempt to come up with ideas for a solution to the state's employment issue advised the choice to alter the deity's physical appearance. The Center's decision to withhold funding from Bengal under the 100-day job initiative due to suspected financial irregularities made the situation of rural unemployment worse.

Despite their initial concerns about the locals' reaction to the departure from custom, the organizers, Kanthalberia Byabsayee Samity, have received an overwhelmingly positive response.

Arghya Tarafdar, President of the Puja Committee, stated: "The change is a prayer for prosperity and well-being for everyone."

"Job possibilities are scarce not only in Hingalganj but across a sizable portion of the Sunderbans, which includes both North and South 24-Parganas. Other than farming and fishing, people have relatively few possibilities for a living. It has been very difficult for all of us to find a sustainable living in the last three years, especially after the Covid-19 epidemic, Tarafdar said.

"Common people have suffered as a result of the Center's suspension of salary payment under programs like the 100-day employment plan. It seems that Maa Durga, with her ten hands, is no longer able to provide us further work. She is envisioned by the craftsman as an all-powerful being with a hundred hands that can enrich our lives and make us happy.

In her new appearance, the Goddess Durga has 90 hands, each of which carries a pink lotus. The mythological weapons are held by the other 10 hands.

"The Sunderbans people are in dire need of prosperity, which is symbolized by the pink lotus in Hindu mythology," said Rampada Pal, a local idol-maker.

He said that the goddess had given a "revelation in a dream" that guided the creation of the deity.

In a dream, Mother Durga hoped to appear this way. I am worried about the future and am facing financial difficulties, much like many other residents of the Sunderbans. Therefore, it seems to me that Devi intended to seem as if she was an almighty entity bestowing wealth and well-being, given her 100 hands," Pal said.

According to a local Trinamul Congress politician who wished to remain anonymous, the Sunderbans are a geographically challenging area. It's true that there aren't many work options in the region. Still, the state administration has been making every effort to look into new employment opportunities. People now feel seriously threatened by the suspension of the 100-day employment program, which is solely the responsibility of the Narendra Modi government.

"It is true that the Center has suspended the release of funds for obvious reasons," a local BJP leader said. However, it is regrettable that during the last ten years, the state administration has utterly failed to provide the residents of the Sunderbans with any kind of suitable alternative employment prospect.

But the Puja organizers didn't seem to be bothered by the political discussion. "The artisan's notion was followed in changing the appearance. It is not political in any way. According to a Puja organizer, "We wished to see the goddess as a more powerful entity showering us with all-pervasive happiness and prosperity."