Cuttack: In these times of hate speech and intolerant politics, Millennium city, Cuttack is a fine example of communal harmony.
Here Muslim artisans for generations have been traditionally supplying Zari Medha (tableux) and other decorative and ornamental items for Durga Puja.
The Zari Medha popular for its artistic brilliance is made using bamboo sticks, golden paper, glitter, mirrors, golden wires and sola (Indian cork).
“We have been making Zari Medha for pandals for three generations. My grandpa used to make, then my father and now me,” said Sayed Aslam Ali, a Muslim artisan in Choudhary Bazar.
With just few days left for Durga Puja to begin, Ali is a busy person. This year he has booked orders for 12 pandals. He and his workers (mostly family members) are busy giving finishing touches to wrap up their work before the festival day.
There is round the year demand for Zari Medha artisans. They get orders for providing Zari Medha for Ganesh puja, Saraswati puja, Durga puja, Khudurukuni puja, decorative items for marriage altars and headgears and earrings of brides and grooms.
During Dusshera there is huge demand for Zari Medha and it is time for raking in the moolah for these artisans.
“We earn our living from this work. We also make headgears used by brides and grooms in Odia marriages, decoration of marriage altars, etc. We are engaged round the year in this job,” said Ali.
These artisans who are spread over in different areas of the Millennium City like Banka Bazar, Chunna Bhati gali of Choudhary Bazar, Firingi Bazar, Buxi Bazar, Bhandari Sahi, etc.get orders for making Zari Medha not only from pandals in Cuttack and other places of the State like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar but also from far off places like Hyderabad.
The height of Zari Medha ranges from as small as 5ft to 20ft and the price ranges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh.
“There is huge demand for Zari Medha in places like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Hyderabad, etc apart from Cuttack. We get a lot of work and at times are forced to refuse orders. We do it on first come first serve basis. For Dussehra we keep orders at the time of Akshay Trutiya. Tarakashi (filgiree work) ranges from Rs 80,000 to Rs 2 lakh. This year we are working on eight such Medhas. These orders are from big pandals,” said Abid Ali, a Zari Medha artisan.
Abid said he never felt that he is doing this for a Hindu festival being a Muslim himself.
“It is not only the Medha we make, in Durga Puja two days before the puja commences it is we who takeover the pandal after the artist finishes his job of idol making. It is we who decorate the image, make it wear bangles, earrings, other sundry decorations,” said Abid Ali.
