He waits for a few days before he begins to work again. If you want to witness Govardhan give birth to idols from a handful of dust mingled with the sweat of his brow, simply go to the plot adjoining the Kalibari temple, near the Sector 31-Sector 47 crossing, in Chandigarh. This time of the year is extremely busy for Govardhan and his team of artists. The process of making idols begins by tying hay over wooden and bamboo structures cut into different sizes. After this, layers of mud are applied on the structures till the figures begin to take shape. After the mud dries, patches of clothes coated in mud are carefully placed on the figures to form hair and bulging muscles, and then in the end the eyes, nose and other features are carved.

Each idol has a distinct appearance and expression. You will see a benign expression on the face of a goddess, while the figure of a warrior may have anger oozing out of his eyes. After the idols are made, the artists paint them in alluring colours.

But work on idols is initiated only after a handful of soil is brought from houses of sex workers. "It’s a tradition that has been in practice for centuries. But since the sex workers are never willing to make this offering, the mud has to be stolen," says another artist Namita. "We get our handful of dust from Kolkata and mix it with the other material used."

"It takes one to 10 days to complete an idol, depending upon the mood of the artiste," says Govardhan, who has been in this business for the past 30 years.

Who are the buyers of these idols and how much do they pay? "Temples as far as Mandi and Shimla place orders for the idols, which cost between Rs 3,500 and Rs 10,000," mentions Govardhan, who has no time to lift his head with Durga Puja just round the corner.