World's tallest bamboo `Maa Durga` idol being made in Assam

Guwahati (Assam) [India], Sept. 23 (ANI): A 100-ft tall bamboo idol of Goddess Durga is all set to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest bamboo sculpture ever made in the world

The idol is being made by the artisans of the Guwahati-based Bishnupur Durga Puja Committee.

Before this, the previous tallest Durga idol was erected in Kolkata last year. The 83-feet structure was made of fibre and erected on an iron structure.

Art director Nuruddin Ahmed is designing the structure and the work of the gigantic structure which began on August 1. He is assisted by 40 artisans.

The first pandal that Ahmed erected was in 1975 in Assam. Ahmed views his art work as a service to humanity.

"Many people ask me why I make such Idols as I am a Muslim. But I want to tell that I have been doing this work since 1975. I always think that an artist has no religion and his only religion and duty is to serve humanity," Ahmed told ANI.

He said some 5,000 bamboo poles of various kinds have already been used in the making of the idol in Guwahati.

Deep Ahmed, who is working as a supervisor in this project, revealed that initially the idea was to build a 110-feet idol.

"The work started two months back. And the height was approximately 110 feet. But all of a sudden on 17th of this month, the whole structure struck down because of the strong storm here," he said.

Deep further said that after the incident, a big challenge of completing the project in just six days came before them.

"All the vendors and the people involved came to us after the structure fell down and said that whatever happened, let's just forget that. We will start afresh. And till now almost 70 percent of the structure has been completed," Deep said.

"The specialty about this idol is that the whole structure is made of bamboo. Not a single thing is made of any metal or plastic," he added.

The four-day Durga Puja celebrations will begin on September 27. (ANI)