Stall: Rupnarayan 39 A visit to this stall is a delightful guessing game and you’ll smile as you recognise among the dolls Santa Claus, the Air India Maharaja, a Japanese girl in kimono, and even Tagore’s Kabuliwala with Mini. “I’ve even made Apu-Durga in a box with kash phool and a train behind. There’s Charlie Chaplin, Ganesh and Jagannath, that always sells well,” says Sumana Paladhi of Howrah, who is entirely self-taught. “Schools teach quilling now but I learnt it years ago on my own, by coiling thin strips of paper. Each piece takes me two days.” Price: Rs 200–2,000
MODERN JAMINI ROYS
Stall: Kallolini Kolkata 21 This stall gives the classic Jamini Roy style a quirky twist — characters wearing sunglasses or hold cocktail glasses, a priest in traditional attire working on a laptop…. “Everyone loves Jamini Roy art but I thought of giving it a contemporary touch without changing the signature style,” said Ruma Koley Price: Rs 420 for a necklace and earring set
CROCHET DURGA
Stall: Opposite Mela Office Most items in this crochet stall are on the lines of flowers and mats but the jewel in its crown is a large pantheon of Durga’s family, also in crochet. “I enjoy making these, and this Durga is one of the most challenging pieces. It takes me a month to make,” says Subodh Barma, the artisan from North Dinajpur. “If they sell out at the fair, I have staff who can help me make more quickly,” Price: Rs 5,000
POLY-FIBRE ART
Stall: Hooghly These artworks are made on MDF (mediumdensity fibreboard) boards, polished, and finished with poly-fibre — a liquid resin that creates a raised, glossy, mural-like effect. Additional chemicals make the pieces durable. “Motifs range from rural scenes to deities, and Jagannath sells the most. My Jagannath collection sold out on Sunday and I have had to replenish stocks from my studio. Durga and Rama are popular too,” says Shyamal Adhikary. Price: Rs 400–5,000
WOODEN FLOWER POT
Stall: Jalpaiguri 42 This stall surprises visitors with a striking 2.5-ft flower pot where the leaves, stem and pot are carved entirely out of wood. “It’s segun wood that my father and I carve. It takes two months of work,” says Mohua Zharami of Jalpaiguri, who has also created elephants and other sculptures in this style. Price: Rs 6,500
CUTE DURGA SHOWPIECES
Stall: Opposite Patachitra Shilpa 1 These come in oval or rectangular wooden bases with Durgas in various poses painted in a charming, playful style. “I’m a patachitra artist, but there are many of us here creating similar work, so I thought of trying something new. This is my own style — heavily influenced by patachitra, but with my own interpretation of the goddess,” says Parul Chitrakar from West Midnapore. Price: Rs 700
SAWDUST SHOWPIECES
Stall: Lane opposite Ichhamati These pieces look like heavyweight terracotta, but are surprisingly light. “They’re made of sawdust and wood dust,” said the artisan who goes by the moniker Madhukari Pheriwala. “We buy dust from sawmills, sieve it, mix the fine dust with glue and water for texture and knead it. It is then shaped with claymodelling tools. It’s very sturdy and, in fact, I’m ready to offer a prize to anyone who can break it.” He sells table stands and wall hangings in motifs of owls and tribal art. Price: Rs 300–800
TINTIN T-SHIRTS
Stall: Karigarer Haat, Pavilion 13 Palash Dey paints T-shirts right in his stall. On display are T-shirts in tribal art forms, like Saura and Madhubani, African masks and Egyptian motifs — but Tintin characters remain the all-time crowd favourite. “We have sizes ranging from age three to chest size 48,” he says. Price: Rs 250–2,000
CLEOPATRA SARI
Stall: Damodar 8 This stall features bold, hand-painted saris. The base is Kerala cotton — off-white with gold borders and embellished with a single large motif on the anchal, such as Cleopatra of Egypt or a Kathakali dancer. “We’ve used acrylic paint for the work, which will not bleed when washed. It is safe to iron too,” says Chanchal Roy from West Burdwan. Price: Rs 1,200
