Quest of an art-form – is an instinct of a creative mind – whether it is endemic to any tribal region, any village or province, or even to a metropolitan city. In northern part of Kolkata, there is a place called Kumartuli, where such an art-form prevails. The inhabitants of this place are involved with this time-honored form of age-old art, generation by generation. And obviously, this is one of the existing traditions, which a metropolitan city, like Kolkata can talk of.

This form of art, is a process of making idols from clay for the famous “Durga Puja” festivals of West. The entire procedure of making of the idols, starting from the clay collection to the final stage of decoration and ornamentation is considered as a holy process and worth to experience. So, what about visiting the place of such a native art-form – the traditional place for the artists who shape their visions with clay and photograph those moments with your camera?

Another important event is “Chakkhu Daan”, literally donation of eyes, occurs on a special day, when the artists paint the eyes on the clay idol of Goddess Durga. Earlier, on the same day at dawn, there is a special ritual is performed. In the memory of ancestors there are various types of rites and rituals prevailing in the world, which take place in different time at different places. The city, Kolkata, is no exception. On the auspicious day of “Mahalaya”, a number of people gather on the bank of river Ganges at dawn. This is an age-old ritual, carried out by generations to pay homage and offering of water to departed ancestors’ souls, called “Pitri Tarpan” in Bengali.

This is really memorable to see them performing this ritual on the bank of river Ganges in the light of rising sun and capture the visuals.

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