Kumartuli idol makers grapple with clay shortage and soaring costs ahead of Durga Puja

What Happened

Kumartuli’s Durga idol makers face a severe clay shortage that has delayed work by two months and forced them to pay four times the usual price. The shortage began when deliveries stopped in April and May after authorities alleged clay smuggling. Sculptors who normally buy clay in bulk now pay ₹40 per kilo, up from ₹10 per kilo, to secure enough material for the Durga Puja deadline. Senior artist Samir Pal, a member of the Kumartuli Mritsilpa Sanskriti Samiti, said the stopgap supply arranged after talks with the local MLA will not help for upcoming festivals like Kali Puja. Bankim Pal, another senior artist, warned that the higher clay cost and doubled prices of accessories since 2025 could leave many artisans with empty pockets. An anonymous artist added that customers bargain hard, treating the artisans as if they are stealing.

Reaction

Samir Pal said, "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." Bankim Pal complained, "We paid ₹40 per kilo for the same clay we used to buy for ₹10 per kilo. Will any customer pay the extra price? This year, it feels like the artists will go back home with empty pockets." The unnamed artist said, "Customers come and bargain as if we are stealing from them. If we did steal, do you think we would live in such poor conditions?" Samir Pal also criticized influencers, stating they enter workshops without permission, demand photos and sometimes break idols, adding, "Who will bear this cost?".

Context

Kumartuli is Kolkata’s historic potters’ quarter that supplies the clay idols for Durga Puja, the city’s biggest festival. Artists usually receive bulk clay shipments before the season, a practice disrupted this year, pushing them to buy at premium rates while also coping with increasing demand for social‑media content.