There’s a touch of Gobinda Pal in almost every Kali idol that will be worshipped across the city on Monday. Though not widely known, he holds a quiet monopoly over one element without which no idol is complete — the severed head that hangs from the goddess’s bottom left hand.
“We have to keep him and his men in good humour. If he takes offence, he just might stop supply next year,” said Udayshankar Pal, who runs a stall of Kali accessories in Kumartuli.
His contact number is considered the potter hub’s best-kept secret. “He doesn’t like to be disturbed,” said Nantu Pal sombrely.
But this year, whispers of a supply crunch echoed across the artisan lanes. “I had asked for 80 pieces each of sizes no. 2 and no. 3. He gave us 30 each,” Udayshankar said.
Prices, too, have nearly doubled. “What we bought for ₹50 last year now costs ₹80,” said Sukumar Surai.
Some shopkeepers have resorted to selective selling. “We’re giving demon heads only to those who are also buying khara and ornaments from us. Under these circumstances, some idols might be worshipped without the demon head,” said a salesman at Sunil Kumar Dey & Sons, a large accessories shop at the entrance to Kumartuli.
A hint about Gobinda’s whereabouts led Metro to Dum Dum on Saturday. There, the words kata mundu acted like a key. “If you had come last week, I couldn’t have even offered you a place to sit,” said the wiry 51-year-old, seated in front of the tea stall he runs from home. Bamboo lofts inside store his creations. “My last tempo left with the supply on Thursday,” Gobinda said.
Gobinda said that the recent deluge had damaged a roomful of stock. Still, he managed to produce around 26,000 heads this season. “Had I made 6,000 more, I could have easily sold them too.”
His biggest constraints? Space and labour. “Renting a shop costs ₹10,000 a month. Add the price of colours and the expense grows. My entire family helps. If I had to hire hands or space, I’d make no profit,” he explained.
His edge, Gobinda believes, lies in experience and smart storage, not superstition. He dismissed a Kumartuli rumour that another potter who attempted making the heads suffered a curse and personal tragedy. “Someone else tried but couldn’t get the shape right,” he said.
Plastic alternatives haven’t worked either. “I once bought all the leftover stock from a pandal that used plastic heads for a theme. Those didn’t find a market,” said seller Bablu Sau.
To manage space, Gobinda is looking to deliver some supply during the off-season. “Only one buyer takes them during Saraswati Puja. I’m now in talks with two more for March delivery. That way, I can scale up to 30,000 pieces,” he said.
It was Gobinda’s grandfather, Kalipada Pal — the first to craft the Fatakeshto Kali idol in north Calcutta — who created the original moulds and handed them to his son Bishwanath to start the trade. Gobinda took over the craft 25 years ago from his father.
Gobinda’s son Debjit, a Class IX student, now helps with the painting. “My friends know that all Kali idols carry my father’s creation. They help me load the tempos,” said the teenager.
Though Gobinda’s wife, brothers, and mother pitch in, it’s his sister-in-law Mamata who handles the entire range of mid-level heads. “We make them in 10 sizes. She takes care of the mid-level sizes entirely on her own,” he said, introducing her. Others help knead the clay and wrap the finished pieces in newspaper. Only Gobinda paints the eyes — with their signature dead, upturned stare.
Apart from the heads, he also sculpts Kali idols, one for his own home and two for delivery. “I belong to an artist’s family. I need to let people know that,” he said.
This year, his own idols will feature a demon head painted gold, a colour he’s trying out. “I usually stick to pink and yellow for orders. Once, I tried a new brand of paint, but it peeled off with the wrapper. I suffered major losses and had to repaint the batch. I’ll only introduce gold if the sample at home lasts six months,” he said.
Gobinda, who has perhaps the sharpest eye on Kali Puja trends in the city, noted that both the number and scale of pujas are growing. “The biggest demand is for ‘special 1’ — my largest size — used for idols over 15 feet tall. Ten years ago, I made 18,000-19,000 pieces. Now even 26,000 falls short.”