Sample listingArtisan
8-inch clay Durga Puro₹500
16-inch Durga Puro₹1,800
28-inch main Durga Puro₹3,800
Kolkata, West Bengal
Kumartuli Clay Durga Idol (Puro)
Pottery
Confidence: high
Hand-built terracotta and clay idols of Durga and other Hindu deities made by generations of kumars (potters) in Kumartuli, North Kolkata, a 300-year-old artisan colony. Artisans model the figures from clay over armature frames, fire and paint them, and supply everything from small devotional puros to large Durga Puja pandal idols. The craft is now the subject of a pending GI tag bid aimed at protecting the Kumartuli name and supporting local artisans. Buyers get an authentic handmade idol, often with the artisan's blessing and puja rituals performed before it.
Typical price: ₹300-5000
Buying tip: Visit the Kumartuli workshops in person, especially in the weeks before Durga Puja when the whole lane is open and busy. Small puros and figurines are the sensible buy; large pandal idols cost lakhs and need installation arrangements.
Image: Ishani Nath · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Where it comes from
Sub-regions
Kumartuli
Grounding
Sources
- https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/clay-idols-of-kumartuli-a-case-for-geographical-indication-gi-tag-6532059/
- https://kumartulidurga.com/about-kumartuli/
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/shivs-kashi-powers-durgas-kumartuli-in-its-gi-tag-bid/articleshow/132337480.cms
- https://www.tfninternational.com/food-and-travel/kumartuli-kolkata-guide-explore-the-idol-makers-colony-before-durga-puja/
3 shops
Sellers
View shop →
Sample listingFamily Workshop
10-inch Durga Puro₹750
24-inch Durga Puro with Ganesha & Kartik₹2,800
Sample listingCooperative
12-inch Durga Puro₹950
20-inch Durga Puro₹2,200