Kumartuli and the Art of Deity-making in Kolkata, India

In Northwestern Kolkata, close to the Hoogly River (part of Holy Mother Ganga river), is a neighborhood of deity-makers, Kumartuli, long honoring the traditions of West Bengal and India. I was there in the season of Durga Puja, seeing the preparations for the subsequent week's Laxmi puja. What an amazingly perfect time to feel the zeal and creativity of this most auspicious week for Bengalis in Kolkata. They are very proud of this tradition of Durga Puja which is celebrated bigger in this city than anywhere else in India.

I visited Kumartuli several times during the week of Durga puja in October 2015. One time at night, and one time at mid-day. Creation is happening at all hours, and generally the doors to the crafting workshops are open to those who want to see the process.

I fell in love with the partly-made deities. They seemed so vulnerable in their nakedness and half-made states. I saw the beauty of the creative process, which I loved photographing and sharing here.

While some deities are created alone with their vehicles, other structures are an assemblage of deities put together to represent the story and tradition of the puja. Laxmi's vehicle is the owl, and she is the Goddess of Fortune. She is celebrated on the third day of Diwali and traditionally devotees to her clean and decorate their homes with lights and finery. They prepare sweets to offer to her. They may also purchase new clothing (I saw lots of sales toward this at stores and markets). This encourages the blessings of wealth and prosperity for people honoring Laxmi in this way.

What I remember most about the season of Laxmi puja was the constant barrage of firecrackers and fireworks throughout the cities of Kolkata and Bodhgaya!

Photo Diary of Kumartuli:

A deity starts with a bamboo superstructure, holding wrapped twisted straw deity shapes.

  

Happy devotee posing with an early Laxmi. 

Then natural clay mixed with chopped straw is sculpted onto the straw form.

   

A layer of wet clay is added to carve and shape the final form with detailed features. See photo on left with the man behind, chopping the straw on a cutting board to be mixed in with clay? Also, see the mold in the foreground here. They use some molds to creat limbs and faces, I think. It was a rare sight to see a woman deity-maker!

Molding the final clay form, while another man chops straw on the cutting board... and dog scratches.

Very rare female artisan.

This Laxmi is ready for her hands, and her exterior clay layer is dry.

Then deities are very skillfully painted in layers. White underlayer, then beige skin, then painstaking detail of the face and neck. Each diety has her characteristic details. See the red in Durga's eyes.

Night time working, painting many Laxmii deities.

Laxmi's holy feet and her owl vehicle.

Frist layers of paint on Laxmi deities.

Handpainted Laxmi face. I saw many Durga deities with the 3 lines on the neck.

Traditional Laxmi with her owl.

My favorite: Durga's traditional yellow face. 

Next, deities are clothed, and hair is glued on. Lots of workshops have their specialty... 

And finally, customers come to the market to buy from their favorite deity makers, to take their deities home...  

Happy Customer taking Laxmi to the family home. 

Customer taking a Laxmi home while vendor secures deities in his cart. 

Customers cart off an extra large deity ensemble (Visnu and consort Laxmi) in their truck that was driving by in the narrow lane... for a Laxmi puja pandal in Kolkata.

Or artists take their deities to a market in another part of town!

Laxmi's on the cart to be taken to market.

Sweet Laxmis tenderly packed on a cart for the market. Hold on tight for the ride!

 I so admire the detailed craftsmanship that goes into each deity. Each is handmade, handpainted by skilled tradesmen who care about this critically important aspect of their spiritual culture. It must be an honor to be part of one of these deity-making families. Traditions and vocations like these are typically passed down within families. They live in this section of Kolkata, keeping busy most of the year with the succession of pujas for the rich Hindu traditions that make West Bengal such a rich place of faith, tradition, color and fesitivity.

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