🇬🇧Kumartuli

Possibly one of my favourite places in Calcutta, and certainly one of the most photogenic, Kumartuli is the area of town where the traditional sculptors work. It is a series of narrow alleyways composed of open artist’s studios. In these studios are rows upon rows of sculptures of gods and goddesses, all varying in size; from knee high to twice the height of the sculptors themselves.

Inside an artist’s studio

Their work making the idols is the most essential part of Durga Puja, so I took the opportunity to go down there yesterday evening to document it.

Pen sketch of an unfinished idol

The making of the sculptures follows four essential steps: making a wooden skeleton, covering it in hay to add some body to it, covering it in several layers of clay (taken from the floor of the river ganges) until it is smooth and the details are clear, and finally painting and decorating. The head, hands and feet are made seperately and added on once the base is complete. Below are some pictures I took of the process (apologies for the poor quality, all the pictures were taken on my phone after dark)

Preliminary layers of clay

Early stages of the painting

Heads being made seperately

The painting is usually done using an airbrush for the base, and details are added with a brush and the deities are traditionally dressed in cloth with paper crowns and jewellery, although these elements are sometimes made from the clay itself, especially for the less traditional, more artistic pandals.

Here is a picture of one such work in progress; where Durga seems to be dressed in pieces of clockwork and cogs. You can also see differences in her proportions compared to the more traditional idols; with a larger head and eyes as well as her sitting position and the arrangement of her ten arms, she is far more stylised than usual.

Though it can’t be seen in the photograph, at the base of the pedestal on which she is sitting are her four children and the demon arranged in bas-relief.

I don’t know which pandal this steampunk Durga is destined for but it will be fun keeping an eye out for her when the time comes!

Inside an artist’s studio. We see here several different materials and techniques used.

Kumartuli is also where a lot the decorations are made, mostly from paper or styrofoam, as well as any clothing and accessories the goddess may be in need of; her crown, her jewellery, her ten weapons for each of her ten hands.

I’ll return to Kumar Tuli in a few days to see how these sculptures have progressed. In the meantime, here are some more photos: