Durga Puja is the busiest time of the year for Kumortuli

Durga Puja is the greatest festival of Bengalis and the artisans who create the idols of Goddess Durga and her retinue of four children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh use this opportunity to earn their year’s income.
In Kolkata, they work in the locality known as Kumortuli – kumor means one who works with clay and tuli is a locality. Their work is a long drawn, painstaking one and since most of the idols are made of eco-friendly material like straw, bamboo, clay and jute threads, the artisans have to be wary of the sudden rains that can spoil their works.

The size and style varies from one idol to another and the idol makers are contacted very much in advance by the authorities of the clubs who specify their requirements. Once a contract is arrived at, the work begins in full swing and club committee members maintain a regular follow-up to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
It is a busy time for not only the artisans but also for those who make the frills like the weapons, the artificial jewelry, and the trinkets that go to make the complete Durga.
Then there are some idol makers who go in for using alternate material like fiberglass – these are usually small in size and meant for overseas markets. Yes, Bengalis who have settled in foreign countries do arrange the celebrations there and, for this, they obtain fiberglass idols which are easy to transport and handle.
And, in villages in Bengal, the making of the idol is held in a central place and people from nearby places flock to see as the idol takes shape step by step from the straw skeleton till the application of paint and final decoration. There is much enthusiasm among especially the children who spend hours watching the complete process. (to be continued …)
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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