Idols Made of Wood Are a Big Draw in Bhainsa

 Adilabad: Devotees thronged to Sirpelli (H) village to view the wooden idol of Goddess Durga installed as part of the Durga Navaratri celebrations in Kubheer mandal, Nirmal district.

The Bhainsa area, bordering Maharashtra, has a tradition of installing wooden idols, whether of Ganesh or Durga. At the end of the festival, the idols are not immersed; instead, they are preserved in local temples and reused after purification. If necessary, painters give the idols a fresh coat of paint.

Thulasiram of the Durga Youth Association, who installed a Durga idol in Sirpelli (H) village, stated that the tradition of using wooden idols is long-held in the area. He noted that a large number of devotees visited their village to see the Durga idol, which was crafted by artist Shyam from Kubheer. Shyam remarked that wooden Durga idols are now becoming increasingly popular among devotees, following the trend of wooden Ganesha idols.

Ravinder, a devotee from Nirmal town, expressed that the wooden idol appears different and attractive.

It is worth mentioning that residents of Palaj village in Bhokar taluk, Nanded district, Maharashtra, only 5 km from the Telangana border, installed a wooden Ganesha idol. Even devotees from Hyderabad visit Palaj to seek blessings from Ganesha.

The tradition of wooden Ganesha idols from Palaj has spread to Palsi in Kubheer mandal, Bhosi village in Tanur mandal, and Abdullahpur in Lokeshwar mandal, all under the Mudhole Assembly constituency in Nirmal district.