Do You Know? Why Soil From Brothels’ Homes Is Used To Make Maa Durga’s Idols

Bhubaneswar: It may be one of the most hypocritical traditions of modern Indian society but Durga Puja’s Thousand-years ritual is still prevailing in every corner of India with its mythological perspective.

As per the traditional Hindu ritual, there are 4 things that you require to make Maa Durga idols – mud from the river Ganges, cow dung, cow urine and soil from a prostitute’s doorstep.

The idol of Goddess Durga is partially made from the soil collected from outside a prostitutes’ home. The narrow lanes and bylanes of orbidden territories gets its colour when

As per the tradition, the priest has to himself go to the brothel and beg for a handful of soil from the prostitute. If the sex worker refuses, the priest has to insist and keep on begging for it. And when the sex worker hands out the soil required to make the mixture of the clay, the priest recites Vedic mantras.

Many believe that the soil is considered to be blessed because people who visit the forbidden lanes of prostitutes leave behind their virtue and piety at the doorstep to enter the world of carnal desires and sin. The soil then imbibes all the virtues and becomes blessed.

Another school of thought, based on the studies of the vedas believes that nine classes of women known as Navkanyas are to be worshipped, revered during Durga Puja. A nati (dancer/actress), a vaishya (prostitute), rajaki (laundry girl), a brahmani (Brahmin girl), a shudra, a gopala (milkmaid): such are the women of known as Navakańyās. According to the belief the worship of the ten-armed-goddess is incomplete without paying respect to these women.

Finally, the idol makers put in hours, days and months making the majestic, larger than life idols of gods and goddesses.