Context: Kumartuli in North Kolkata Is renowned worldwide for its centuries-old tradition of crafting clay idols, particularly the ten-armed goddess for the vibrant Durga Puja festival. However, the idol artisans of Kumartuli are facing hurdles due to enduring infrastructural challenges.
About Kumartuli:
- Kumartuli or Coomartolly is famous for its sculpting expertise.
- The area produces clay idols for various festivals and exports them globally.
- How did this area come into being?
- British colonization of Bengal and India (especially after Battle of Plassey) and the construction of Fort William at Gobindapur, prompted the relocation of most residents to Sutanuti.
- Under orders from the directors of the British East India Company, specific districts were assigned to the company’s artisans.
- These areas were named based on their trades, such as Suriparah (wine sellers), Collotollah (oil men), and Coomartolly (potters).
- While many artisans in North Kolkata diminished or disappeared, the potters of Kumartuli survived.
- Initially crafting pots sold at Sutanuti Bazar (later Burrabazar), they gradually started
Creating idols of gods and goddesses for local mansions and community pujas.
Dhakeswari temple in Kumartuli:
- It is a Hindu temple in Kolkata, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River.
- The temple's presiding deity is Devi Durga, whose idol was brought from the Dhakeswari Temple in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Bengali Hindus regard Dhakeswari as the presiding deity of Dhaka. The idol was evacuated to Calcutta during the Partition of India in 1947 and has remained there since.