In Dhamrai, a 520kg Eight-Metal Durga Is Never Immersed — a Mirror Is, Symbolically

At the end of Durga Puja, idols are usually immersed. But at the historic Banikbari in Dhamrai, Dhaka, the custom takes an exception: the 520-kilogram Durga idol made of eight metals is never immersed. Instead, the festival’s formalities end with a symbolic immersion of a mirror.

The eight-foot-tall idol was made in 2017. Building it took about a year and cost around Tk 25 lakh.

The idol is made of eight metals — gold, silver, mercury, zinc, lead, iron, tin and copper. Alongside Goddess Durga stand idols of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik.

The idol’s features and the design of its eyes follow Bengal’s traditional style; the eyes are shaped in the form of bamboo leaves.

Sukanta Banik, a member of the Banik family, said the idol was made by members of the family themselves. For about 200 years, the family has been engaged in making products of copper, bell metal and brass.

“Earlier, puja was held with clay idols. As the number of family members declined, the idea of a permanent idol came up. Then we made it ourselves,” Sukanta Banik said.

He said the idol was made for the family’s own worship, not for sale. However, such an idol can be made if someone places an order — though the work is time-consuming and construction takes a long time.

The Durga Puja tradition at Banikbari is about 126 years old. Clay idols were once made here for the puja; later, as family members and manpower declined, the initiative for a permanent idol was taken. Since the eight-metal idol was built in 2017, it is freshly decorated every year before the puja.

Every year during Durga Puja, visitors from different areas crowd Banikbari to see the idol. The house and the puja mandap stay open to visitors for the five days of the festival.

Alongside the idol, visitors are drawn by the house’s old architecture, its aesthetic craftsmanship, and idols of various deities made of bell metal and brass. Idols including Nataraja are placed at different spots of the house.

Khalid Hossain and his friend Dipankar Das came from the Radio Colony area of Savar to see the idol, having heard about this exceptional piece from acquaintances.

Brishti Sarkar, who came from Saturia in Manikganj, said, “Everywhere you see clay idols. Here an idol has been made of metal. It feels wonderful to come and see it.”

Sukanta Banik said that besides visitors from across the country, foreign visitors and representatives of embassies of different countries have also come to see the idol. Media outlets, including those in West Bengal, have published reports on it.

Tied to the Banik family’s long tradition of metal craft, the idol is now one of the main attractions of Banikbari’s Durga Puja. After the puja, the idol is preserved in its own place, and the festival ends with the symbolic mirror immersion instead of an idol immersion.