KOLKATA: Pedestal fans whirr beside half-finished Durga idols, trying to dry the stubborn clay. Huge plastic sheets drape over the goddesses, shielding them from the rain. On Wednesday, at Kumartuli, Kolkata’s iconic idol-making hub, orders for Durga idols are pouring in but so is the rain. With less than three weeks to go before Mahalaya, when idols must start reaching pandals, the weather has become the biggest ‘asur’ for the artisans of Kumartuli. The MeT office has warned of more rain in Kolkata and across Bengal right up to Puja, making artisans anxious.
“Rain has turned into the real asur (demon) for us,” said Mintu Pal, one of Kolkata’s top idol makers. “The clay won’t dry, the colours won’t set.
With Vishwakarma Puja on September 17, most pandals want their idols ready by then. Imagine our pressure!” Pal’s idols can be seen at Santosh Mitra Square and FD Block in Salt Lake among many others. Several of his idols have already been sent abroad.
Veteran artisan Kali Charan Pal, 86, who has 25 idol orders lined up for Kolkata, Burdwan, Asansol Jhargram and beyond, echoed the same worry.
“The weather has become so unpredictable, our entire schedule is in a mess because of the rain,” he said. At the workshop of Narayan Chandra Pal, young artisan Prabhat is battling the same problem. “We’re sending 50 ek chala idols across India this year, but the rain is spoiling everything,” he said.
This year, Puja is early, with Mahalaya falling on September 21. Rain is predicted between September 18 and 25, just when the idols need to be ready. Yet, the festive spirit at Kumartuli remains undampened. The lanes smell of fresh paint and wet clay as visitors and photographers throng the narrow alleys, eager to soak in the pre-Puja mood.
In the rain, revellers crowd the workshops, buying shola ornaments and clothes for the gods. Cameras click, streets buzz and despite the weather gods playing spoilsport, the countdown to Puja has well and truly begun.