Rain leaves Kumartuli artisans in distress
The Statesman | 26 September 2025Around this time every year, the potters barely find time to eat or sleep. But this year, the story has been turned on its head. Knee-deep water has invaded the lanes of the potters’ colony, with people working frantically to drain it out. “The other day, after the rains, I came home to find the house waterlogged. We were at our wits’ end! How were we supposed to deliver idols like this?” said artisan Mala Pal.
Durga Puja begins this weekend with Shasthi. But before that, will the idols even reach the pandals? The uncertainty weighs heavily on Kumartuli. Despite promises, the idol-makers could not send out their creations on time. “The loss is not just about money—it’s about time slipping away,” said Babu Pal, president of the Kumartuli Mritshilpi Samiti.
Kolkata’s iconic Kumartuli, the centuries-old potters’ hub renowned for crafting idols of goddess Durga, has been left reeling under heavy rainfall that battered the city this week. The downpour caused severe waterlogging in the narrow lanes of the neighbourhood, flooding workshops and damaging raw clay idols at various stages of completion. This year, Goddess Durga’s homecoming has been shadowed by torrential downpours, leaving Kumartuli submerged. “Do you know how many idols were ready and waiting to be shipped off to pandals? We have to rebuild, re-coat with clay, let them dry again—only then can we deliver. But doing all this in this weather is our biggest challenge,” explained artisan Tapan Pal.
Caught in the deluge, Kumartuli’s artists have faced immense suffering. Yet, as the rainclouds slowly retreat, hope flickers again. With the skies finally turning kinder, artisans are rushing against time, patching up damages and sending idols to pandals across the city. Having endured the storm’s fury, Kolkata’s potters’ quarter is cautiously stepping back into its rhythm—its artists now looking toward the light of hope. For now, all eyes remain on the weather.
