Kumartuli is a district in the north of Calcutta, a famous center for the creation of Hindu idols used for devotions related to religious festivals. Kumartuli is particularly active in the run-up to the popular Durga Puja festival in October in Calcutta and Bengal. The streets are then cluttered with idols of the Hindu pantheon, very often Durga or Ganesha. From father to son, the artists tirelessly repeat the same gestures which allowed to perpetuate an old artistic tradition.
The history of this quarter of Kumar-s (potters) dates back to half a century, it is in 1606 that takes place the first puja according to the Asian society of Calcutta. Today more than 12,000 idols a year are fashioned by 250 artists, idols who export all over the world (Canada, England, Australia, Eastern Europe).
The Indian or pandal sculpture of Kumartuli takes the traditional Indian canons. We find different sizes according to the uses and means of the customer. An idol is made in several stages: the first is the creation of a frame (or skeleton) in wood, usually bamboo. Then, this frame is covered with a mixture of straw and clay to give the sculpture its general volumes.
fter, the artist sculpts the idol, working particularly the members who will be visible as the head, the arms and the bust. The idol is then painted and dressed. Each artist is specialized in a particular stage, all taking turns.
The main source of work for these artists is the festival of Durgā pūjā for which they work several months before. At the height of the feast, after a procession in the city, the idols ephemera are plunged into the Ganges. Each year, 1 million tourists come to visit the neighborhood.
Source: wikipedia
Kumartuli, le village des idoles.
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