Kumortuli Ghat: Crucial Restoration For Kolkata's Evergreen Potters' Lane

Nestled in the narrow lanes of North Kolkata, Kumortuli - an area named after potters and sculptors - is intertwined with Bengal's rich cultural and religious sentiments for centuries. It is here that idols of Goddess Durga come to life.

The newly elected Chief Minister of West Bengal has urged puja organisers to stick to tradition instead of elaborate themes in keeping with religious sentiments. The city appears to have complied.

"This year, there are fewer themes for Durga puja, the demand for traditional idols are spiralling," Manab Paul, born and brought up in Kumortuli, told NDTV. 

But Durga Puja is not just the largest festival of West Bengal. It is also a citywide exhibition of art - through resplendent idols, spectacular pandals and dazzling display of lights - drawing millions of visitors for the week-long extravaganza. 

Kumortuli is the heart of the operations. It is here that the sculptors carefully carve the structures, patiently mould the clay and paint the Goddess' eyes before she is adorned in the fineries for worship. 

Walking through the maze, one can spot idols of all sizes and styles. A paper attached to one of the ten hands indicates the idol has been sold. But for many, this festive season has been unlike previous years.

"We are about 150 families living and crafting idols at Kumortuli, many families haven't been able to sell their idols. Last year, we didn't have place to stand, the lanes here were buzzing. Somehow, it feels different this year," added Manab Paul. 

With the regime change, funds have started drying up. 

Instead of the handsome grants given to Puja Committees by the erstwhile Trinamool Congress government, the BJP government has asked the organisers to tighten belts and forfeit grants. 

For many of these sculptors, though, idol making goes beyond the monetary transaction.

"You can ask me anything about idol making, but don't ask me about the cost of the idol, Maa cannot be sold," said Rajesh Paul as he held the soft clay in his palms, warming it up slowly. 

"It takes about a month to build one idol. First, we shape the hay on a bamboo structure, then we start molding the clay. Once it dries, we paint the idol and say a little prayer in our hearts while drawing Maa's eyes," he explained, sitting in a compact room packed with larger-than-life idols.  

For Subhajit Paul, the sentiments mean more than the commercial outcome. 

"Today my workshop is packed with idols, the sight makes me happy. These idols will travel to Shillong, Nadia district, and parts of Kolkata. For the people, this could be just a clay structure but for idol makers, this is everything. To be able to bring Maa to life is a gift not everyone is blessed with," he said. 

While he is doing this job for around five years, the connection is far deeper rooted, he said.

"We feel sad to see the idols being taken away from here. It is like a mother leaving her son," he added, a faint smile on his lips. 

Amid the last-minute touches, content creators - dressed in their traditional best and armed with cameras and props - scramble to get the desired reels and photos.

To strike a unique note, a few have even dressed up as Maa Durga.

The sculptors remain unperturbed. The crowd slowly spills onto the Kumortuli Ghat for a quick break under the shade of the mighty Banyan tree.

The Grade 1 heritage structure is being restored by the Adani Group. With an aim to open before pujo for the public, the masons are stationed at the Ghat to complete the structural upgradation. Restoring a part of heritage goes beyond romance and becomes steeped in responsibility where one upholds the true tradition.

The ghats dotted along the banks of Hoogly are primarily used for bathing, performing rituals and few have the ferry service to transport daily passengers.

In the 18th Century, when the soil of Bengal was politically volatile and agriculturally fertile, Raja Nabakrishna Deb of Shobhabazar Rajbari held the first public Durga Puja and brought potters from Nadia to make the Durga idol. This area flourished as Kumortuli as demands for idols started growing from wealthy Bengali zamindari families. This became the potter's lane or Kumortuli sitting by the river Hoogly.

Centuries later, in the City of Joy, Kumortuli continues to live and tell stories, not just of idol makers, locals or puja organisers, it has now brought into its fold content creators, visitors on immersive walking tours and others who want to witness a slice of Bengal's Durga Puja history. 

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)