Potters Of Kolkata’s Kumartuli Eye Good Business This Durga Puja

Kolkata, Aug 29: After two economically ruinous Covid years, Kolkata’s famous potters’ colony of Kumartuli is buzzing with activity ahead of the upcoming Durga Puja carnival, with the idol makers and artisans expecting good business, notwithstanding spiraling labour cost and raw material expenses.

With little more than a month left for the start of Bengal’s – as well as Eastern India’s – biggest festival, the mood is upbeat in the North Kolkata hub as potters give shape to idols of goddess

Durga of various sizes and hues, as ordered by organisers of community and household pujas. Adding to the joyous atmosphere, the state’s daily count of fresh Covid cases has also come down to below 25.  “The basic structure is either complete or at an advanced stage of work for most of the orders
I have received. Some idols have already received the first coat of paint,” China Pal, who in 1994 became the first woman idol maker of Kumartuli, told UNI.

Pal, now in her 40s, makes the idols of leading community pujas in the city like Mitali Sangha, Subhas Sangha and Highland Park. Besides, her idols are trucked to far-off places like Srinagar and Bhopal.

“We had very tough times in 2020 and 2021 after Covid broke out. This time the situation is better. I have received a good number of orders. “In fact, I could have taken more orders, but had to refuse some for paucity of time,” said Pal, who broke the glass ceiling by entering the profession after the death of her father Iswar Hemanta Kumar Pal.

Over the years, she has become a cult figure of sorts with her regular media appearances and a much-publicised trip to China at Beijing’s invitation. Another celebrated idol-maker Mintu Paul is also happy with the business trend this year.

“The scenario is much better. The organisers are also preferring bigger idols of 10-11 feet. Last year, most of the organisers worked on shoestring budgets because of the economic impact of Covid and the lockdowns. So we had to lower our rates. The idols were also smaller,” Mintu Pal told UNI.

Monti Pal, who has made a name for himself with his fibre-glass idols which are exported, however, felt business was yet to reach pre-Covid levels. “But yes, the market is better. Last year, I got only three export orders. But this time, I have got five orders from places like New Jersey, Boston, London and Bangkok. Before Covid struck, I used to receive 6-7 orders,” Monti Pal told UNI.

The festival, known for its grandeur and creativity, comes at the tail end of the monsoon, and poses a challenge for the clay idol makers. With the monsoons yet to ebb this year, the situation is no different.

“The clay often absorbs the moisture, and we have to redo the work, leading to time and cost overruns,” said a labourer Bapi Sardar. However, more than the vagaries of weather, it is the rise in input cost that is a cause of concern for the artisans.

Even Ganga mati (soil from the banks of the river Ganga), considered very suitable for making idols because of its smoothness, has become dearer.

“We are forced to purchase Ganga mati at a premium because of its shortage. The motor boats are making less number of trips to collect the soil following the rise in diesel rates,” said Mintu Pal. From ropes to nails, everything has become more expensive.

“The cost of ropes has gone up by 50 percent, and that of nails by 20 percent. The same is the case with other ingredients like wood and straw,” said Mintu, whose customers include marquee city community pujas like Santosh Mitra Square, Vivekananda Sporting, Salt Lake FD Block and Beniatola.
Monti Pal is also feeling the pinch. “The cost of fibre-glass raw materials has doubled, while the organisers are not ready to increase the budget for the idols,“ said Monti.

There has been a sharp rise in labour wages too. The labourers could not go to other states for work during the last two years following the Covid restrictions and had to settle for lower wages.

“Now they have more options. So while they worked on a daily payment of Rs 1000-1200, this time the rates have increased to Rs 1800-2000,” said Mintu Pal.

According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Durga, accompanied by her four children – Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati – descend on earth for five days every year to visit her parents and fight evil, occasioning the celebrations in the Indian month of Ashwin that corresponds to September-October.

Astride a lion, the goddess wields an array of weapons in her 10 hands in symbolic representation of Shakti, or woman power, and slays the demon Mahishasur before returning to her husband Shiva at Mount Kailash.

The puja rituals begin on ‘Shashthi’ or the sixth lunar day – and culminate in ‘Dashami’ (the tenth lunar day when the idols are immersed in rivers and other water bodies. Durga puja will be celebrated October 1-5 this year.

With UNI Inputs….