Durga Puja and Kumortuli Part-1. A story in 4 parts by Rimita Sen.

In the month of “Chaitra” according to the Bengali calendar (April according to the English calendar),the Hindu used to witness Durga Puja.

The deity Durga was worshipped as Basanti (the goddess of spring), which in due course of time has lost its popularity. There are few families in and around West Bengal which still makes it a point to celebrate this ancestral puja of Maa Durga.

The more popular is the Sharadiya Durga Puja which is also known as the Akal Bodhan. It symbolizes Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana with the blessings of Devi Durga.

We witness a period of five days of overflowing joy and happiness during Durga Puja. But for the photo-lovers it starts with the “Kathamo Puja”. This the ritual the “kumors”, the people who make the idol, follow. “Kathamo”- meaning the wooden frame on which the whole clay idol is made, is worshiped before the actual work starts!

The hay bundles taking shape.

The man busy tying up the hays.

I, being a photo-lover visit the “kumorpara”- meaning the locality where the Durga clay idols are made, every year and each time I visit I am amazed by the dedication of these men and children alike. These people are of different age and experience but the intricate designs and the perfect idols make me wonder, how do they manage to do that? each of the idols of Maa Durga looks just the same like the other ones, these people are indeed the finest among all other I have even seen. Few are friendly and few asked a question with gloomy faces “bhenge gele ki hobe? Na na kono dorkar nei chobi tolar.” (What will happen if the idols break? No need of clicking pictures) but yet I managed to click a few..

A boy busy coating the hays with clay.

Tensed.

t

It's time to dry the Deity's! 

The creator and the creation!

The art.

Kumortuli, the place where the Durga idols are made, is a network of narrow alleys, on the bank of River Ganga.  The idols are given life here. From the wooden frame it is covered into bundled hay, twisted and turned to give shape of body, hand and legs, the clay flesh, the hair, the “daakersaaj” – ornaments made of thermocol.

Durga Puja, the legacy of the centuries unfolds loads of rituals, myths…. Let unfold them part by part.

To be continued...