Kumartuli’s Durga idol makers have intensified production after five mostly dry days helped them recover time lost to persistent rain, with several Puja committees expected to begin collecting idols from this weekend.
The weather disruption had come during the crucial final stages of idolmaking, forcing artisans to move several clay idols indoors and pause parts of their work. The return of drier conditions has allowed the idols to be brought back into the open in the narrow north Kolkata lanes, where artisans are now painting figures and completing decorations.
The timing is critical, with Durga Puja around two weeks away and deliveries due to begin shortly. Kumartuli’s production cycle depends on the completion, drying, painting and decoration of idols before they are transported to pandals across the city and beyond. Any further interruption at this stage could compress the time available for artisans and Puja committees to complete their preparations.
“Last week, we have been able to make up for the lost time, thanks to the dry spell,” said Kartik Pal, secretary of the idolmakers’ cooperative. Plastic sheets that had covered parts of the bylanes during the rain have now been removed, while artisans have resumed work in the open.
Artisans have also started adding accessories and drapes to the idols. Mala Pal, another idolmaker in Kumartuli, said workers were starting early and continuing until late at night to complete orders before deliveries begin.
“We are trying to make the most of the dry and sunny weather while it lasts. We start early and work till late hours in the night to be able to complete the orders placed for idols before the deliveries begin,” she said.
During the wet spell, some artisans used pedestal fans and blow torches to accelerate the drying process. The measures allowed work to continue in limited form, but the report did not specify how many idols were delayed or how much additional time was required for individual orders.
The weather has also affected the wider Puja preparation network. Puja committees have increased the pace of pandal-making, adding pressure to coordinate construction, decoration and idol delivery within the remaining period. Arijit Saha, secretary of the College Street Friends Circle puja committee near Eden Hospital Road, said the committee hoped dry and sunny conditions would continue until Durga Puja.
Kumartuli’s narrow lanes are both a production area and a transport route for the city’s seasonal idol economy. The final stages of work therefore depend not only on artisan labour but also on weather conditions that allow clay idols, paint and decorative materials to be handled safely before movement to pandals. For now, the dry spell has given artisans room to resume outdoor work and prepare for the first deliveries.
