After a relative lull for two years due to the pandemic, the Durga Puja energy is back in the narrow lanes of Kumartuli. Artisans have started the preparations for the biggest festival of Bengal. The orders have started pouring in since the Rath Yatra, and around 50% of them have already been completed according to an Indian Express report. There is a happy hurry as idol makers get busy completing orders so that there is no last-minute delay.
According to Ranjit Sarkar, a 59-year-old artisan, the increase in the number of orders this year is attributed to the post-pandemic recovery. In the past two years, the orders had been relatively low.
The base work of the idols has already been completed, but the ornaments and garments are yet to be made. Due to the various themes that are being used this year, the final orders have not yet been received. The festival of Bengal begins in the first week of October revealed one of the idol makers.
According to China Pal, a leading female artisan in Kumartuli, the rush for the idols has started as most of them are getting colored. In the past couple of years, the orders came in late due to the Covid pandemic. However, this year, she has received orders since March, and by September, she plans on sending the idols to various states like Kashmir, Orissa, and Bhopal.
Another artisan in the area is optimistic about this year’s festival as most of his orders have already been sent abroad. He said that the idols made for these countries are made of fiberglass, which is easier to transport.
Although the orders have started pouring in, the artisans are still working on the structures and the garments for the idols. The idol makers are also facing the losses that they suffered due to the Covid pandemic. He said that the pandemic forced many workers to stop working.
