Tata Motors Ltd said on Friday it would move its factory for the Nano, hailed as the world's cheapest car, out of the state after violent protests by farmers who had lost land forced the company to stop construction of the plant.

The company's decision dismayed many in the state. On Saturday, around 500 people, including farmers and workers from construction and auto supplier companies, held a rally in Singur, the cluster of villages that had been slated for the Nano's factory, to protest Tata's decision to pull out.

Tata's move came just before a four-day festival of the Hindu goddess Durga, which celebrates the killing of a demon by the ten-armed deity.

The festival is celebrated all over India and in Kolkata, with over 15 million people, more than 2,000 marquees were set up, showcasing diverse themes and craftsmanship by West Bengal artisans and famous idol makers.

The yellow ten-foot-long replica of Nano was one of several models representing contemporary themes are set up by community groups in central Kolkata.

The Nano was depicted parked against the backdrop of a giant padlocked factory.

"This car model is a big crowd-puller. But we created the model to draw attention to the need of industrialisation in West Bengal," said Pradip Ghosh, a community leader.

"We wanted Nano to roll out of West Bengal. We also want to draw attention to the closure of 50,000 industrial units in the past decades by creating a padlocked factory as a model," he said.

Last year, a community group replicated the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy depicted in J K Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Inside the marquee in central Kolkatta, a clay idol of the 10-armed goddess sitting on a lion and stabbing a demon emerging from a buffalo, dominated the set.