Autumn days wane toward the inevitable colder weather ahead -- this is how the writers wrote about the season as it marks the transition from summer to winter.

But to Hindu devotees, autumn is a season of festival. It is the season when goddess Durga visits her father's resident on earth from heaven.

The Hindu community arranges their biggest celebration of devotion to welcome and celebrate her staying by observing Durga Puja, which begins on October 7 this year.

As part of the celebration, mandaps (temporary temples) have been set up all over Sylhet division.

According to Puja Udjapan Parishad, around 2,500 mandaps have been set up in the division, including 600 in Sylhet district and 45 in the city.

The sculptors are also busy putting final touches on the idols.

Durga Puja is not only a time of worship but also a celebration of beautiful artistry that is very indigenous, said the sculptors of Lamabazar area.

The area is also abuzz with people visiting to see the craftsmanship.

“We all are eagerly awaiting the festival. But we have a day's vacation for the five-day festival,” said Debobrota Chowdhury, a visitor.

“It is a process -- the creation of the idols, from clay to ornamentation, which involves many rituals,” said Sagar Paul, a sculptor of the area. “Every statue is sculpted and painted using techniques that have been around for generations,” he said.

Usually it costs around Tk 20,000 to one lakh to create a full set of idols. A complete set has Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, Ganesh, a lion and an idol of Ashur -- the evil power, said the idol makers.

“But it is not the same anymore. A sculptor cannot make his living by this. The selling price has not increased compared to our living cost and raw material prices,” said Sankar Paul, a sculptor.

“We need intervention of the authorities concerned regarding this,” he added.