Kumartuli, the “Potter’s Locality”, houses approximately 150 potter families and nearly 550 workshops which prepare year round to make a Durga Puja idol for Vijayadashmi.
The Hooghly River flows nearby, providing the unique soil, locally known as “The Ganga family,” which is an essential ingredient for making an idol of Goddess Durga.
The idol's outline is created using bamboo, which is reinforced with sticks. A grass base is formed and then covered with a mixture of mud and grass to define the final shape of the idol.
Hands and feet are manufactured separately and securely attached to achieve the desired shapes. The frame design is sometimes left to dry in the shade and then in sunlight to ensure its durability.
Once the idol is dry, painting is done by hand or paint gun. The dress, specific to Durga’s form, is tied and secured with nails. Black jute fibre is used to create Durga's hair and small bundles of fibre for the lions.
The eyes considered the windows to the soul, are meticulously painted with acrylic or poster colours. The entire Durga Puja idol making is a collaborative effort, involving ten to fifteen skilled artisans.
Every component, from the raw materials to the paint, is eco-friendly and biodegradable since the idols are ritually immersed in the river at the conclusion of the Durga Puja festival.
Goddess Durga is dressed in a Banarasi saree, zari, brocade, paper, thermocol, and sometimes real gold. Durga Puja idol making also include those of her children: Ganesha, Saraswati, Kartikeya, and Lakshmi.
For Durga Puja, the art of idol-making, be it in the hinterlands of Bengal or Guwahati speaks of the variety that is an essential part of our traditions.