Solar Saaj

Solar Saaj is the ornamentation and decoration for sacred images in West Bengal. It involves the use of ornaments and decorative items made of foils, sequins, beads and artificial pearls. These items are made by the craftsmen, commonly referred to as ‘malakar.’ These craftsmen are usually associated with crafting items made from shola-pith, a light pithy reed.

The foil, used in decorating the deity, used to be imported from Germany by post. These decorations were therefore also referred to as ‘daker saaj,’ where the word ‘dak’ means post.