Durga Puja: After Covid lull, buzz at Kumartuli

The narrow lanes of Kumartuli are relatively quiescent with artisans chipping away in the late afternoon light. The preparations for the Durga Puja have long begun. Orders have started pouring in since Rath Yatra and 50-55% of work has already been done. Idol makers are busy delivering the orders well in time.

“The past two years were a low-key affair (due to the Covid-19 pandemic) compared to 2019. However, this year, the orders have gone up by 40%,” said 59-year-old artisan Ranjit Sarkar.

The ornaments and garments of the idols are yet to be made as they depend on the kind of themes being used this year.

The base work of the idols has almost been done. “We are still waiting for the final orders, even as the final date for orders was August 15.” Durga Puja is in the first week of October this year.

China Pal, one of Kumartuli’s leading female artisans, says, “We are extremely busy as most of the idols are getting coloured now. The past two years have been difficult financially and the orders came in pretty late, around two months before the festival. But this year, we have been receiving orders since March. I’d rather look ahead now that Covid is over. I have idols being shipped to Kashmir, Bhopal and Orissa by the end of September.”

Mintu Pal, one of the oldest and most celebrated idol makers in the area, is also optimistic about this year’s festival as most of his orders abroad have also been shipped in advance. “The idols sent abroad are mostly made of fibreglass because they are easy to transport.” Pasupati Rudra Paul, 58 says, “I am making 18 idols this year. The last two years were pretty dismal in terms of orders. This year is albeit better than the last two years but the budgets are still more constrained than what we are used to.

The idols are still in various stages of making as I have also received some orders a little over a month ago so I am still working on the structure for them while I am going to start the colouring work on a few.” Like most idol makers, he is also facing trepidation over the losses in the past two years because of Covid-19 that forced workers to stop working.