Magic of Kumortuli • Kolkata

JAAGO MAA 

Rendition by Mohini Roy

Amidst the narrow lanes
And the clutter of tiny homes
There are mounds of clay
And heaps of dry straw

There are brushes and colour tins
Glitter of gold and silver foils
Tubelights have replaced the lanterns now
And a rickety fan here and there

There are hundreds of hands
And thousands of hours
Of countless effort
And there are millions of smiles

Welcome to the World’s Largest Studio
KUMORTULI

DURGA PUJA AND ORIGIN OF KUMORTULI

Come October every year, the fervour in the air is striking.
Maa Durga’s homecoming is the most awaited moment for every Bengali and it is truly the lifeline of Bengal.
Durga Puja is perhaps one of the oldest festivals celebrated in India dating back to the late 16th century and early 17th century, when zamindars (landlords) from Dinajpur and Malda (districts of West Bengal) organised the celebration of Durga Puja in their Rajbaris (royal residences).

It is believed that in 1757, Raja Nabakrishna Deb of Sovabazar Rajbari had arranged KUMBHAKARS or clay artisans from Krishnanagar (in Nadia district in West Bengal) to create the idol of Maa Durga for worship and to celebrate the victory of the British in the Battle of Plassey.

Durga Puja at Raja Rajkrishna Deb’s Rajbari Thakur Dalan at Sovabazar

Soon other eminent zamindar families of Kolkata began celebrating Durga Puja in their Thakur Dalan.
Thakur Dalan is a spacious structure built up inside the house for worship of deities and other religious festivals.

As the popularity of Durga Puja spread all across Kolkata, the demand for idols started pouring in.
Artisans, primarily clay potters or popularly known as Kumors, from nearby district towns of Nabadwip, Shantipur and Krishnanagar in West Bengal gathered in Kolkata, months before Durga Puja for idol making as it generated livelihood for their families.
It was Raja Nabakrishna Deb who decided to give a section of land to this community of Kumbhakars, so that they could settle down at one place and work.
TULI, Toli or Tola is a place designated for particular communities. This place where hundreds of KUMORs settled down together is called KUMORTULI.
The community of these KUMBHAKARS that dedicated themselves to making idols were given the Title ‘PAL’. Through generations, the Pals of different lineage in Kumortoli dominate the craftsmanship.

KUMORTULI, in North Kolkata is the World’s Largest Traditional Studio spread across 2 kms, with more than 10,000 craftsmen at work across 70-80 Studios, which crafts over 3500 idols for Durga Puja every year.

KUMORTULI LIVE

On the day of the Ratha Jatra festival, (Ratha Jatra or Chariot festival of Lord Jagannath) held around first week of July, every year, artisans at Kumortuli perform the Kathamo Puja, a tradition followed over centuries.  
KATHAMO is the primary bamboo structure which is the base of Maa Durga’s Pratima. This marks the commencement of making idols for Durga Puja at Kumortuli.

MAKING OF KATHAMO

DID YOU KNOW?

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was the first President of Kumortuli Sarbajanin Durgotsav which began towards the end of 1920s.
Desh Mukti songs were recited as prayers to Maa Durga to free Mother India.

Through this platform, Netaji and other revolutionaries were able to address their views on the freedom movement to the community which gathered during Durga Puja.

KUMORTULI – BLEND OF EPAAR AND OPAAR BANGLA

Post partition, many artisans from Bikrampur and Dhaka decided to settle down at Kumortuli and these Craftsmen were termed as Opaar Bangla (From the other side of Bengal ie East Bengal or Bangladesh).
And the Craftsmen from Epaar Bangla (from West Bengal) hailed from various districts of Krishnanagar, Nadia, Nabadwip, Bardhaman and Shantipur.

Both sides had their own distinct styles with an identity of their own. Over decades, this differentiation was recognised like a Gharana of craftsmanship. There are Durga Pujas in Kolkata who have followed one gharana or the other and have maintained the same look and style for over 50 years and more.
On the Epaar Bangla side, there are families like Jiten Pal and Kartik Pal who followed the traditional way of crafting Maa Durga Pratima (idols) and the originality has been maintained through 6 generations.
Epaar Bangla style is revered as the oldest and has a strong presence in Durga Pujas held in North Kolkata like Sovabazar Rajbari and Baghbazar Sarbajanin.
Their hallmark is Devi Mukh and Taana Chokhh, (Maa Durga’s face and Her eyes), an art which has been retained beautifully by these families for over hundreds of years. This Divine creation is now popularly referred as Baghbazar Puja style.

MAA DURGA’s FACE – EPAAR BANGLA STYLE

Opaar Bangla Pal families who hailed from Bikrampur and Dacca like Ramesh Pal, Rakhal Pal, Mohanbashi Rudra Pal, Gorachand Pal also created an identity of their own which personified the Daughter of the family (Barir Mey in Bengali).

MAA DURGA’s FACE – OPAAR BANGLA STYLE

The styles of each Gharana is so distinct that the avid Puja Pandal hoppers are able to distinguish and recognise the artisans’ work, simply through a glance on Maa Durga’s Pratima.

EK CHAALA TO PAANCH CHAALA STRUCTURE

EK CHAALA or Single Chaala structure is the traditional structure wherein all the deities are under one structure. This structure was the original one that was followed with a traditional Devi Look of the idols with Sholar Shaaj or Daaker Shaaj.

EK CHAALA STRUCTURE WITH ALL 5 IDOLS

Legendary artist, Late Gopeshwar Pal is considered to be the pioneer behind the idea of creating Durga Puja idols as PAANCH CHALA, ie separating the 5 idols as individual structures instead of the traditional single chaala.
His idea of creating idols separately, way back in 1926, modernised the way Durga Puja idols were made and it gave a new look to the Pratima, a human like face to the idols .
This new format gained popularity and a whole new line of craftsmanship emerged through the Paanch Chaala idol making.  

PAANCH CHAALA STRUCTURE SEPARATING ALL 5 IDOLS

THEME PUJA

Towards, the end of 90s, Theme based Durga Puja started gaining ground in Kolkata.
Puja organisers were now seeking a complete canvas of work – Idols, Pandal design, light and sound arrangement, based on a current topic or any heritage monument or a popular destination.
With this changing scope of work, many craftsmen who were accustomed to making only idols felt that their craft would soon get extinct as there would no takers.
Kumortuli’s ingenuity rose to glory again. A cross breed of creation, a blend of traditional and contemporary elements gave way to a completely new style and the artisans adapted to this emerging trend.

KUMORTULI’s GEN NEXT

Amidst these challenging times, there was a new generation of artists who grew up watching their fathers and forefathers crafting idols. Often, the women folk in the family, mother and daughters would also play an integral role in the workshops who worked side by side with the men in the family.
This new generation of young kids also lived through stacks of dry straw, played with the wet clay, made their tiny idols and toys and held the first colour brush.
They however looked beyond this education of unmatched skill and had an ardent desire to learn more and create something that was never seen before at Kumortuli.     

The Starlets of the 6^th generation families of Epaar Bangla and the 3rd generation families of Opaar Bangla who dared to dream, went a step further to pursue professional degree from Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata.
Established in 1854, this is one of the oldest and premier Art institutions in India.

Sanatan Dinda, Parimal Pal, Naba Pal, Pradip Rudra Pal are today known as a generation behind the Renaissance art at Kumortuli.
They have redefined Maa Durga’s Pratima, retaining the root, and as artists, their innovation with colours and material is fascinating and unique.

Theme Pujas are now like turnkey projects, and given the scale, each artist handles 3-4 large format Durga Pujas.
Over the years, some of these artists have set up their own studios, outside Kumartoli given the limited space available to stretch and rebuild existing studios.

SHILPA SAMMAN BY KUMORTULI’S OWN, PARIMAL PAL

AWARD WINNING CREATION BY PARIMAL PAL

 “It is simply Maa Durga’s Blessings that people wait in long queues to see my creation in the Pandals. Nothing can be more satisfying to an artist.”

Parimal Pal, an eminent artist, is one of the most respected names in Bengal today.
He represents the third generation of the Epaar Bangla family. His grandfather had set up a studio in Kumortuli in 1940 and made clay potteries in the traditional way. As years passed by, he also started making idols and thereafter, his father continued with the same family tradition.
Growing up with this rich lineage of craftsmanship, Parimal Pal aspired to harness his skills further and joined the Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata.
With a Masters degree in his stride, he made his mark in the year, 2000, with his first Maa Durga Pratima for Kumortuli Sarbojanin Durgotsav.   

In 2017, Parimal Pal was honoured with Asian Paints Sharad Samman Puraskar for his creation – SHILPA SAMMAN at Kumortuli Sarbajanin Durgotsav which was a Tribute to the Artisans of Kumortuli.
He points out that “Every year, countless people crowd the pandals to get a glimpse of Maa Durga’s Pratima, somehow, the people behind this massive amount of work  do not get their due recognition. They may not have an Arts College degree, however their work remains inimitable and no less than a celebrity sculptor.
Kumortuli is my karmabhoomi and as a tribute to the artisans here, my theme, Shilpa Samman was dedicated to those hundreds of families who work tenaciously behind the making of Durga Puja idols every year.”
Parimal Pal’s depiction was so thoughtfully laid out that lakhs of visitors had gathered at Kumortuli Sarbojanin Durgotsav to catch a glimpse of his heartfelt creation.  

PARIMAL PAL’s SHILPA SAMMAN FOR KUMORTULI

While, Parimal Pal’s family studio continues to be managed by his brothers in Kumortuli, he has set up his own studio near Tala water tank, Shyambazar in North Kolkata.
He works on 18-20 idols every year and manages 2 leading Theme based Durga Puja in Kolkata, directing the Pandal design, light and sound arrangement, in addition to the making of the Pratima.
His creation can be identified with his style of crafting Maa Durga’s face and special prominence given to the idols of Ganesh, Saraswati, Lakshmi and Kartik.

PARIMAL PAL’s creation 

“For all of us at Kumortuli, Maa Durga is like our own daughter and every care and attention is taken to make Her look gorgeous and divine.
After months of this love and affection, when Maa Durga leaves Kumortuli for the Puja Pandals, it is like the Bidai ( farewell ) of our own daughter. This is the most emotional moment at Kumortuli.” shares Parimal Pal.     

Maa Durga’s departure from Kumortuli like the daughter leaving home, as depicted by Parimal Pal. 

TRIVIA

DAKER SAAJ

Jagatdhatri Festival, celebrated in Chandannagar (the French ruled province of Bengal) way back in 1755 had massive structures of the Goddess with 12 ft to 14 ft in height.
It is believed that Silver foils used for the decoration of these idols were shipped from Germany and arrived in Chandannagar by Dak (by post), hence this decoration derived the name – Daker Shaaj.
Even today, the best decorated Daker Saaj idols are made in Chandannagar.

DAKER SHAAJ

WOMEN POWER AT KUMORTULI

Kumortuli is perhaps the only place in our country where Women artisans are found crafting idols in hundreds.
It is certainly a matter of pride to see this rare breed of Women artisans who have created their own niche and place in a world which is primarily led by men.

China Pal, Kanchi Pal, Mala Pal and Kakoli Pal are the trendsetters at Kumortuli who have learnt this craft from their parents and managed their studios as a family tradition.
Some of them have joined their husband’s family workshop and managed it thereafter.
All of them have followed the traditional way of making Maa Durga Pratima, and their idols now travel overseas where Durga Puja is hosted by the Bengali diaspora.
These are women who work with a battalion of men and women in their studios with sharp business acumen. Their stories of self drive and determination are inspiring.

CHINA PAL

KANCHI PAL

MALA PAL

KAKOLI PAL

Competition is fierce and working conditions have never been easy, yet these women have managed these hardships and excelled.
They are simply undeterred when they hear others comment, “She is a woman, can she handle big pujo orders ? “

CHOKKHUDAN AT KUMORTULI

On Pratipada (a day after Mahalaya), Chokkhudan is an important ritual in Kumortuli. It is believed that the master craftsman brings life into Maa Durga’s Pratima with the finishing touch being done on Her eyes. This is also called the PRAN PRATISTHA sacred ritual at Kumortuli.

CHOKKHUDAN BY MAHILA SHILPAKAR, Sushmita Rudra Pal Mitra

SANATAN DINDA’S CALL FOR KUMORTULI

Sanatan Dinda in his studio

“When everyone at home would fall asleep, I would crawl under the chowki and craft my little idols with the flickering light of the lantern,” remembers Sanatan Dinda.

His childhood memories at Kumortuli are so vivid and even today, he fondly recollects that it was his Mejdi (elder sister) who had taught him to draw the eyes and the lotus.
As a young kid, he was awe struck with the Kumbhakars’ craft of making idols.
He spent long hours with Ishwar Baluchandra Pal, their landlord and learnt to make Krishnanagar clay toys with him. This was his first experience of playing with clay and colours.
As he grew up, his passion for sculpting was tremendous and it was his school teacher, Samir Bhattacharya, who was able to identify this latent talent in him and oriented him with a world view of artists across many genres.

As a brilliant student of Government College of Arts & Crafts, Kolkata specialising in Western painting, Sanatan Dinda’s creation is a beautiful blend of sculpting and fusion of colours.
It has been a journey of 22 years of sculpting and painting, and today Sanatan Dinda’s work during Durga Puja can be considered as one of the World’s biggest site specific installation art.

SANATAN DINDA’s creation. 

About this year’s festival, he speaks with a great sense of achievement, “Kumortuli is my home and the artisans here are my family.
To see hundreds of families in despair, unemployed and worried about their sustenance was very unnerving.
A few of us, artists from Government College of Arts & Crafts got together and represented the plight of the artists who have worked for generations to keep this festivity alive in Bengal.
Over the last 3 months, I was speaking across various platforms so that our voice is heard. Artists do not have a regular flow of income and it was therefore critical to bring about a change in mindset, to motivate and inspire Durga Puja organisers and also save the artisans from not slipping into the darkness of hopelessness.
I had to work against many opposing opinions, however, I had maintained that if we follow Government regulations and take adequate safety measures, we can survive this setback and ensure livelihood to families.
It was clear to me, restore life or perish.”

With their untiring efforts, Sanatan Dinda and many artists together were able to bring back work to the families in Kumortuli and elsewhere in Bengal and Maa Durga’s Pratima has lit up Bengal once again, in these dark and difficult times.
Beyond, the cheer and happiness that the festivity brings forth, Maa Durga has left the studios of Kumortuli, reigniting the flame of survival instinct for a better tomorrow.   

VISIT KUMORTULI

How to get there :
Kumortuli is close to Shyambazar 5 point crossing in North Kolkata
It is 15 kms away and one hour drive from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Dumdum, Kolkata

To get a close view of this amazing craftsmanship and for necessary permissions for video shoot or photography,
Contact: Kumortuli Mritshilpi Sanskritik Samiti
Sujit Pal – Mobile : + 91 8617233153
(On weekdays from 10 am to 1 pm)

Best time to visit : Early to mid September, every year

THE STORY TELLERS OF DURGA PUJA

A BIG THANK YOU to those special people who have captured the essence of Durga Puja, in the most intricate detail, through their real life experiences – in writing or through photography.
I feel blessed to have interacted with a few and it is truly their own passion, beyond a work assignment, that they have gained this immense knowledge.
Their narration around any aspect of Durga Puja can take you back hundreds of years. Simply, Unbelievable.

DEBDUT GHOSHTHAKUR

A student of Ramakrishna Mission, Narendrapur, Debdut da was a science student. While pursuing his PhD with UGC scholarship, he had received two job opportunities, from Life Insurance Corporation of India and ABP (leading media group in West Bengal).
With some amount of deliberation, he decided to join ABP in 1984 as a trainee journalist and he worked tenaciously, reporting breakthrough stories across various beats, one of the most prominent ones being Arsenic contamination of groundwater in West Bengal and his reportage from Assam from 1988 to 1991.
While being the Chief Reporter from 2001 to 2018, he is proud of two of his personal achievements – ground coverage of Durga Puja and every element around the festivity, and completing his PhD in 2008 at the age of 50, in Ergonomics, Human factors engineering.

Debdut da’s stress buster has been teaching and he has spent many years during his work life, teaching Environmental Science at Presidency College.
Today, Debdut da is busy writing his life’s Bylines – teaching young science students at Narendrapur, creating a football team of Adivasi women, being a football player himself and playing Tabla whenever time permits.
On weekends, you will find Debdut da at Kopai, near Shantiniketan, engaged in organic farming and fishing in a nearby pond.
Debdut da is discovering happiness in his own way now.

Email : ghoshthakur@gmail.com

Debdut Da’s football team of Adivasi girls at Damdama, Kopai, Birbhum

DEVI PRASAD SINHA

As Chandi da puts across “That childlike desire to capture Maa Durga’s Pratima was like a dream, and my work helped me to fulfil that childhood dream.”
Inspired by his father, Late Birendra Nath Sinha, he began learning photography in 1966 and started his career in photography in 1968.
Chandi da’s prized possession is the Rolleicord twin lens reflex camera which his father had bought in 1963 during an invitation trip to West Germany.
Later, when his father handed over the Rolleicord camera to Chandi da, both were inseparable.

Late Birendra Nath Sinha, who had clicked the last picture of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at his Elgin Road home, Kolkata

Chandi da joined ABP in 1971 as a free lancer and this is where he found his mentors, ace news photographers, Biswaranjan Rakshit, Ajit Mohan Shome and Satyen Sen. He remains indebted to them for grooming him to complete a fulfilling career as a photographer for over 35 years.

Chandi da’s best moment during Durga Puja is watching Sandhi Puja, one of the most powerful rituals where 108 lamps are lit and 108 lotus flowers are offered to Maa Durga. Sandhi Puja is held at the cusp, when Ashtami Puja ends and Navami Puja begins.
Even today, he relives the soul filling divinity of Sandhi Puja in Rani Rashmani’s home near Jaanbazar, S N Banerjee Road, Kolkata.

Email : devipsin@gmail.com

Sandhi Puja at  Rani Rashmani’s house at Jaan Bazar, Kolkata

There are scores of people toiling there
Making Durga Puja so special for us every year
They work silently and crave for no limelight
Their devotion reflects in their selflessness
As we celebrate the festivity
Let us remember those men and women
And express our gratitude
For filling our lives with cheer once again

Maa Durga on her way to Puja Pandal.

Photo credit: Debi Prasad Sinha

The rendition of ‘Jaago Maa’ is sung by Mohini Roy  
(email: mohiniroy.music@gmail.com)