Ma Durga made of dark Belgian chocolate turns heads in Kolkata

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<strong>Imagine chocolate being put to another use besides eating! Doing precisely that is the idol of Goddess Durga made of 25 kilogram of dark Belgian chocolate. And achieving this feat is a Kolkata bakery which has handcrafted a four-feet-tall chocolate Durga idol which is on display at the bakery.</strong></p>
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Talking to India Today one patron of the bakery who was busy clicking the pictures of the idol said: <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/this-maa-durga-idol-in-kolkata-has-been-made-with-25kg-belgium-chocolate-viral-pics-1864747-2021-10-14">"It is so nice to see this idol</a>, especially on the occasion of Durga Puja. We come here every year on Navami and it is so nice to see this chocolate idol this time.”</p>
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The making of this beautiful idol demanded a lot of hard work and it took 15 days to make. This was not all as before, many hours and days were spent on research by 10 chefs who visited Kumartuli – a place where idol makers make Durga idols for the Puja celebration.</p>
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Careful observation by the chefs and their team finally resulted in an image which was then handcrafted into the chocolate idol. In order to give it a realistic touch, a hint of gold dust was melted with white chocolate to adorn the embroidery of the Goddess’ sari.</p>
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A 4ft Durga idol made of edible Chocolate has been installed in the iconic tea room of Kolkata – Flurys in Park Street.<br />
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It has been handmade by Chef Vikas Kumar and his team of expert chocolatiers and took them about 1 week to complete the entire sculpture. <a href="https://t.co/T1EbFOVHsc">pic.twitter.com/T1EbFOVHsc</a></p>
— ramesh sharma (@rameshfilms) <a href="https://twitter.com/rameshfilms/status/1448299430659051523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The team confronted several issues while making the idol as chocolate has a low melting point. The team had to work hard to make the idol in layers and ensure that it is kept at a certain temperature.</p>
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Vikas Kumar, Executive Chef of the bakery Flurys told India Today: "We are chocolatiers and I wanted to try out something different. We made this eco-friendly idol and there was a lot of research, watching the artisans of Kumartuli and this idol is also our way of paying tribute to the artisans and their efforts.”</p>
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In order to solidify the idol and give it a glossy finish, cocoa butter was used.</p>
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Now, what will happen once the Puja celebrations are over? The idol will be immersed in milk after Vijayadashami to prepare milkshakes that will be distributed among underprivileged children.</p>
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<strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/culture-news/transgenders-celebrate-durga-puja-in-kolkata-worshipping-ardhanarishvara-idol-120815.html">Transgenders celebrate Durga Puja in Kolkata worshipping ‘Ardhanarishvara idol</a></strong></p>