Creation is an eternal process, the rich cultural heritage of India has been age old and its diversity in religious belief has been focused in Hindu Mythology. The festival of Durga puja is celebrated all over India and specially in Bengal every year. The by lanes of North Kolkata beside the Ganges is Kumortuli. The name has its own relation with the place ‘Kumor’ or the Potters’ place…It has been a long story since the first Durga Puja was held in 1933, this place has pioneered the making of clay idols which is worshipped. This place has global recognition for artistic creation and innovation. The smell of mud, the basic lifestyle of the artist and temporary shelters will make you feel that divine power exists in human manifestation. The normal lifestyle of people prevails but still will make us awake of the existence of divine power. The daily life goes on in spite of all distress, hazards we have in our life, making us believe that God exists in human being which gives the power of creation. The context of our mindset resides in our soul, belief and existence. Human being in their life span has believed in the religion and India is a place of diversity, though this festival has marked the involvement of all religion and the 4 days festival is celebrated with glory. The preparation on set of Kumortuli is throughout the year and creative excellence of the artist is known all over the world. Devi Durga has its deep roots in Hindu Mythology and is worshipped with divine spirit all over India. Creating the Clay idols, with unique formation from the clay which is brought from the banks of the river has been age old style and still prevails, and maintaining the strong cultural heritage of this art form has been always special and unique and we are amazed by their versatility of the artist of Kumortuli. Lifestyle in The City of Joy has its own nature, from the urban lifestyle to the basic lifestyle of the artist has been a contrast but still they are special who creates this divine form and the Making of the Goddess and makes our life joyful during the festival still living within a temporary shelter and creating this unique creativity. An unique place to see the highest form of art where human being creates God, strange but true…Life never stops and so does creativity.
The making of Durga is a long process. A straw structure is made then clay is put on the straw and final shape is given. It is indeed a masterly work of the artisans. Here is some moments of the making of durga from a studio in Kolkata. These pictures are from the studio of Kumortuli the artist has been kind enough to allow us to take these pictures. Our sincere thanks to Kumortuli and all his artist who have been making these wonderful idols. Images from the Artisan Studio Kumortuli
This involves lot of artists, and other people who work day and night in making the idols of clay. Other decorative items are made by hand. It involves a process of 2-4 months before everything gets ready. In Kolkata the idols are made in Kumortuli a place where where all artisans work, it is in the northern fringes of the city near the river Ganga.
Glimpse from kumortuli….from straw structure to clay the idols are created with the glory of the artist. Thanks to all artist of Kumartuli for cooperating with us…
Kumartuli, is older than Calcutta, which grew out of three little villages, Gobindapore, Kalikutta and Sutanooti way back in 1690. The history of the Kumartuli can be traced back to Krishnanagar. In the middle of the seventeenth century, potters came from Krishnanagar to Gobindapore, a prosperous village on the banks of the river Bhagirathi (now the River Hooghly), When the land at Gobindapore was required by the British East India company for building Fort William, the inhabitants migrated further up the river to Sutanooti. The potters moved in to their new destination, colonized a vast area and named it Kumartuli, the term “Kumar” meaning a potter and “tuli” a locality. The Bengal Consultations, the presence of Kumars who occupied 75 acres of land in Sutanooti, which is a constituent part of present day north Calcutta. The entire process of the Puja is intricately detailed in Devipurana, Matsyapurana, Brihannadikeshwarpurana and Kalikapurana.
Small Facts Kumartuli : Kumartuli location, mostly between Rabindra Sarani (formerly Chitpur Road) and the Hooghly River, the region is, at present, between Ahiritola and Sovabazar. As Kumortuli started experimenting with form of Devi Durga, there were new foirmation came out of the goddess the separation of the images, breaking up the ekchala pattern, was a significance of Gopeshwar Pal, who is a legend in creating this structure.While idol makers artist like Ramesh Pal, Gorachand Pal, Rakhal Pal and Mohanbanshi Rudrapal, Alok Sen ….gave birth to individual styles.
The popular among them are Mohan Banshi Rudra Pal and his sons Sanatan Rudra Pal and Pradip Rudra Pal, Rakhal Pal, Ganesh Pal, Aloke Sen, Kartik Pal, Kena Pal, Parimal Pal who are still reigning figures of Kumortuli.
Kumortuli’s own Durga Puja started in 1933. The idol maker was Gopeswar Pal.
Late Jitendra Nath Paul founded his studio ‘Rup Archana’ in 1945. His sons have successful in building on their father’s legacy and reputation.
In 1968, Ramesh Ch Paul founded the Shilpi Kendra.
Artist, Scuplturists, thememaker who have created in recent generation in making uniqueness in devi form are Sanatan Dinda, Bhabotosh Sutar, Susanta Pal, Amar Sarkar, sculptor and painter Partha Dasgupta, Parima Pal, Pashupati Rudra Pal have given the new formation of Devi now a days with creative flair.
