24/09/2024
Durga Puja starts on October 9th this year.
It’s right around the corner and every nook and corner in Kolkata is buzzing with Pandal building activities.
But the main area of attraction in the city of Joy is Kumartoli, where various artisan are busy in transforming natural materials like clay (alluvial soil from the Ganga river basin) mixed with fine jute fibres, providing intricate details to the deities and impart a sense of ritualistic holiness.
The tedious work which began with making the basic structure of the idol with dry rice grass and bamboo sticks tied with jute string.
Once the structure of an idol is ready, the head, which is sculpted separately, is attached to the body.
And then the idols are painted with biodegradable and organic paints. The next step is adorning the idols with clothes, jewellery, and hair, often sourced from Kolkata's Bada Bazar.
Finally, on Mahalaya, artisans paint the eyes of the idol in a ritual called "Chokhudan".
For 5 days, the city of Joy will be immersed in a Kaleidoscope with people dressed in their best attires roaming on city streets.
The team at Shristi Times visited the city just before and here’s a sneak peek into the laborious preparations for the PUJO season:
