Jamshedpur, Sept. 29: The city is a scene of frenetic activity. A team of 30 artisans is racing against time to give shape to a colossus of aluminium that will greet the goddess at the Shiv Shankar Samiti Puja in Mango.

Standing tall at 80ft, the giant metal pandal is being modelled on a Buddhist monastery in China. Samiti members say they are experimenting with aluminium because it has a remarkable ability to resist corrosion and can be recycled. “Not fancy lights and idols, the pandal has to make a statement. We decided on a metal because it is eco-friendly,” said Ashok Kumar Gope, secretary of the Samiti.

He said about five quintals of aluminium sheets had been bought from Calcutta a month ago. The purchase left the organisers poorer by Rs 4,11,000, but no one seems to be complaining. “We are spending on an experiment that will yield positive results,” Gope said. “Aluminium has lustre and the pandal will look magnificent at night. It will sure be a crowd-puller.”

The artisans are using bamboo as the base that will be 65ft wide. Aluminium is a metal of low density and is light enough to stand on such a base, the organisers said. Metal sheets will be wrapped around wood to give shape to the monastery model. The exterior and interior will flaunt metal carvings.

“It is difficult to cut normal aluminium sheets. The one we are using is thinner than what is used for industrial purposes, and we are also using a special kind of scissors. The thinner the sheet, the more the lustre,” said Montu Ghosh, an artisan.

If one is wondering what will happen to the quintals of aluminium after the festival, here’s the answer.

The Puja organisers are planning to do the artisans a good turn.

“The artisans can either keep the metal sheets for personal use or sell them in the market. It will help them earn a few extra bucks,” said Gope.