Puttur: Laxman, a Local Man, creates Idol of Goddess Devi Out of Waste Paper
 
Report by U L Uday Kumar
Pics: Arun Uppinangady
Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (RD/SP)
 
Puttur, Jul 24: Art is generally pursued as a divine gift.  It is indeed true. With the artistic skills of an artiste, even waste can take the form an art work.  Laxman, a resident of Bank Road, Uppinangady, near here, stands as an example for turning waste into work of art, by creating a masterpiece in the form of an idol of goddess Devi, with his skillful hands, by making the best use of waste paper alone. 
 

Sixty three years old Laxman is a retired employee of a Bidi company.  He was posted at Tamil Nadu (TN) by his employer, where he worked from 1970 to 1980.  During this period, he had made an attempt to make the optimum use of waste paper by creating art.  He is a staunch believer of goddess Mahamayee and used to visit the temple, located at Melapalayam, Tirunalveli, TN, located near his work place.  A local Muslim named V A Dasim is believed to have got the apparitions of goddess Devi and it was a tradition there to worship the goddess by making her idol out of paper.
 

Laxman initially took about two months to make an idol of goddess Devi out of paper, upon the request of Dasim, who wanted to offer the same to Sri Mahamayee temple, Melapalayam.  Meanwhile, Laxman carried on the art of making idols of goddess Devi, even after his retirement at home, by making the optimum use of waste paper, a little glue and colour threads to artistically adorn the goddess. 
 

Laxman will travel along with his artistically created idol of goddess Devi, to offer it to Sri Mahamayee temple, Melapalayam, Tirunalveli, TN, shortly.  He used to offer the shapes of crown, trumpets, wheels, shapes of body parts meant for the goddess, in the past, while this time Laxman has artistically created the entire idol by using just the waste paper.
 
Laxman is a multi-linguist, engaged in his good deed without seeking much publicity.