Kali idols reduced to ashes in fire of revenge! Bardhaman idol artisan in despair before Kali Puja

**Bardhaman: Is it revenge for handing a thief over to the police? Panic spread in the Chhotonilpur Subhashpara area of Bardhaman over allegations of arson at an idol-making workshop.** A devastating fire has reduced several Kali idols, idol-making raw materials and various equipment to ashes. A car and other property, including AC pipes, were also not spared by the flames. With Kali Puja just around the corner, idol artisan Subodh Das and his family are left distraught.

According to local sources, thefts had been happening in the Chhotonilpur Subhashpara area for a long time. Residents allege that thefts were also occurring from a grill factory in particular. In this situation, early on Tuesday, between about 5 and 5:30 am, locals caught a suspected thief red-handed along with a toto (e-rickshaw). Police later reached the spot and took the person to the police station, it is reported.

However, the affected family claims that the dispute started over handing the accused over to the police and holding back the toto. They allege that miscreants set the idol workshop on fire late on Tuesday night to take revenge for that incident.

The family said the fire was set between roughly 2:30 am and 2:45 am. Alerted by the flames, local residents rushed in and joined efforts to douse the fire. After about two hours of effort, the fire was brought under control between 4:30 and 5 am. By then, however, the idols and other materials inside the workshop had suffered heavy damage.

Idol artisan Subodh Das's son Abir Das, describing the incident, said the workshop had orders for about 25 to 35 Kali idols for the upcoming Kali Puja. The idols were being made for several big clubs and puja committees, and work was in full swing. But with idol after idol burnt in the night fire, all their hard work has virtually been wasted.

**The artisan family faces a major financial crisis just before Kali Puja.** Advance payments had already been taken from various puja committees for making the idols. But with all the idols destroyed, completing the orders within the deadline has become practically impossible. This has also put pressure on them to refund the advance money to customers.

Idol artisan Subodh Das has been mentally shattered by the incident. A year's hard work, artistic creation and the hopes built around the upcoming festival were all destroyed in one night's fire, leaving the artisan and his family stunned with grief. There is also uncertainty over whether 25 to 35 new idols can be made and delivered to customers in such a short time.

At the time of the festivities, this fire is not only a financial loss for one family but also a major blow to their long-standing art and livelihood, locals believe. At a time when the artisan family should have been busy preparing for Kali Puja, they are now spending their days worrying about the losses and their future.

Police have reportedly started an investigation after receiving news of the incident. Efforts are underway to determine who was involved in the fire, whether it was really set out of revenge, and whether there is any other reason behind it. Search operations are being conducted to identify the accused.

With Kali Puja not far away, concern is growing over this fire at the idol-making workshop in Chhotonilpur Subhashpara, Bardhaman. Now the question is what the investigation reveals and how the affected idol artisan family manages to recover from this disaster.