19 Comments

  1. Are the well-known Idol-makers still working from Kumartuli or shifting to new and separate studios ?
    Many art college pass-outs are getting engaged in Sharadiya Puja. New generation from traditional Idol-makers’ families pursuing such courses ?
    Any conversation on impact of this new competition ?

    I would have loved to see how Dinda, Tarun De, Bhabotosh Sutar and Gauranga Quilla work ?

    1. Yes I did see some still practicing their art from this location. Some obvious have bigger studio now but more or less it has remained the same over the years.

      The advent of Art College Students in idol making is actually revolutionizing this art form completely. These college pass outs usually love to experiment and often bring out a complete new dimension. These are slowly becoming quite popular and more art college students are joining this trade. In fact a very close friend of mine who is also a Art College pass out is into these during season and rest of the time they are pursuing their regular day jobs.

      The same however cannot be said of the traditional Kumortuli artisans, while engaging in a discussion one of them regretted how his son has refused to join the trade and moved over to Bangalore for a carrier in IT. He is now training his sister to carry on this family tradition.

  2. The pics are beautiful. I too want to go to this place and witness this man-creating-God act. When is the best time to visit Kumhartuli.I may plan my holiday accordingly next year.

    1. Thanks, plan your vacation so that you come to Kolkata two weeks before Durga Puja so that you will see the idol making process in various stage of completion. By the way not only Durga Puja but this place is famous for other deity also so more or less you will find some activity or the other throughout the year but yes just before Durga Puja its at peak.

  3. Thanks, Subhadip for your wonderful, educative blog. Most of us see only the final product and don’t think of the hard work and artistry that goes into creating such master pieces.
    By the way, is the folk lore mentioned in the film ‘Amar Prem’ true – that the first lump of clay used in making the idol of Durga Maa is taken from the house of a coutesan.

    1. Yes you are right this is actually done in reality, unfortunately no detailed documentation is present but this is still very much in practice. It like a statement that “Durga Puja is for everyone”.

    2. I found this in Quora:

      “The mud is collected because those people who visit the prostitutes for sex leave their purity and virtue outside the door thus making the soil in front of the home of a prostitute virtuous.

      The soil is known as ‘punya mati’ and the place where a prostitute resides is known as ‘nishiddho pallis’ in Bengali meaning forbidden territories.”

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