With 150 days to go for Maha Shasthi, the narrow lanes of Kolkata’s Kumartuli are already alive with the spirit of Durga Puja preparations. Since late March, artisans in the city’s famed potters’ quarter have been working relentlessly, moulding clay idols under sweltering skies as the countdown to Durga Puja 2026 begins.
The scorching heatwave has done little to slow them down. Inside the narrow lanes of Kumartuli, sculptors can be seen patiently layering straw frames with clay, giving shape to Goddess Durga and her children months before the festivities begin.
Here and there the idols are left to dry in the sun and the air has already begun to feel festive.
“I have already shipped idols and puja samagri to Australia and London. Every year, we also receive orders from America and several other countries. Even Bangalore is a major market for us,” said Indrajit Paul, a third-generation artisan-proprietor, whose studio is over a century old. He added that the artisans are hopeful the new government will step in with financial support and focus on the overall development of Kumartuli.
Pal also believes that while theme-based pandals reflect creativity, idols should be ‘shabeki’ or traditional. “Pandals can experiment with art and creativity, and we enjoy seeing that. But the idols should remain shabeki. In the name of innovation, disproportionate idols often end up looking absurd,” he said.
Veteran artisan Hare Ram Pal, who has spent four decades in Kumartuli, said completing a single Durga idol set — depicting the goddess slaying Mahishasura alongside her children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh — can take anywhere from a week to a month, depending on the scale and detailing.
“The cost of everything has gone up. Even spools of thread now cost nearly double. Naturally, our profit margins have shrunk,” he said. “We hope the new government provides financial assistance, so this art form and the businesses around it can survive. This should never become a dying tradition,” Hare Ram Pal added.
Artisan Babu Pal said that though work has started, uncertainty looms over this year’s Puja. “Some of the bigger pujas may be affected because of the political change. Work has begun, but no particularly unique orders have come in yet. We’ll understand the real picture only two months before Puja,” he said.
Tapas Pal, another artisan from the neighbourhood, said his studio completes nearly 50 idol orders every year, ranging from small household idols to large community puja orders.
For Prashanta Pal, whose studio specialises in idols meant for overseas celebrations, Durga Puja has always transcended borders. “We ship idols across the world — Canada, the US, the UK, Portugal, Belgium, France and even Abu Dhabi. Some consignments have already been dispatched this year, while others are on their way,” he said. “We accept orders till a month before Puja, but last-minute orders have to be sent by air because shipping takes too long,” said Prashanta Pal.