JHANSI: The excitement of a festival approaching is palpable in the air outside an old building in Nagra area of Jhansi . A peek inside shows a 35-year-old man carefully outlining the features with a thin paint brush of an idol of Goddess Durga. This would the seventh idol that Abdul Khalil has sculpted during this Navaratra season and time is of essence. Between offering namaz and doing other household chores, Khalil is sure he could deliver the idols by 'shrashthi', the sixth day of the nine-day festival.For Khalil being a Muslim has never been deterrent in pursuing his passion-sculpting-which he learnt from his father Abdul Khalik. A trained dancer and a celebrated artisan, Khalik sculpted idols for various Durga Puja pandals in Jhansi for over five decades. He was a lab assistant in a school but used to sculpt idols in his free time.While Khalik died in 2012, his legacy was carried forward by his son. "I do not consider sculpting a business or a profession. It is an art I inherited from my father who was very passionate about it," said Khalil, who works in a construction firm and takes a leave of three months every year before Durga Puja to pursue this passion.He said he has his employer to thank for being considerate enough to grant him the leave and, his family and community for always motivating him to contribute to such a noble deed.He lives in his ancestral house in Nagra area with his mother, wife and two sons.Khalil's fancy for making idols started when he was 14 and when he used to visit different pandals with his father. He said he picked up the skill by observing his father keenly for many years and later lending him a hand in colouring the idols.Talking about his father, Khalil said, "He was drawn towards the art after he became a disciple of a Hindu priest when he was 16. He started learning the Later, he also picked up classical music ." Khalik often used to sing bhajans at Kunj Behari temple and Murlimanohar temple, few of the oldest temples in Jhansi."My father never longed for money and followed his dreams. He taught me to do the same. I feel such actions bring cohesiveness in the society, which is the need of the hour,"When asked about how he manages his expenses during the three months he sculpts idols, the 35-year-old, said, "I spend money in such a way that I can easily manage for three months without drawing a salary."

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