Sculptors in Kumartuli bemoan shortage of clay, higher costs, intrusive content creators

Artisans work on idols of Goddess Durga at Kumartuli, Kolkata’s historic potters’ quarter, as they prepare the clay idols ahead of the Durga Puja festival. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Kolkata 

The idol-makers of Kolkata’s biggest potter colony in Kumartuli are facing an unprecedented problem in their profession — a shortage of clay during the peak festive season. The sculptors of Durga idols are paying hefty sums to get their hands on the good clay, many are lagging behind work, and struggling to make ends meet. 

“After speaking to the local MLA and party members, we were able to arrange some clay for this Durga Puja. But how will we manage during Kali Puja and the other upcoming festivals? This is only a stopgap arrangement,” Samir Pal, a senior member of the Kumartuli Mritsilpa Sanskriti Samiti, a sculptors’ association in Kumartuli, told The Hindu. 

Previously, truckloads of clay would be delivered to their area, and each artist purchased clay in bulk, but this year, the supply of clay was stopped in April-May following allegations of clay smuggling. “Our work was delayed by at least two months,” Mr. Samir Pal said.