Discovering Kumartoli before our clash against ATK Mohun Bagan

Kolkata’s football legacy is unrivalled. This we know. Kolkata’s street food and literature is iconic. This we know.

Kolkata’s biggest festival is Durga Puja. We know. But there’s a neighbourhood that embodies the spirit of this festival. Kumartoli. This not many know.
 
Kumartoli is a neighbourhood in central Kolkata, located on the banks of the river Hooghly. It is home to artists (women and men) who shape the idols that are synonymous with the city’s Durga Puja festivities. It is from Kumartoli that the Durga idols travel across the city and surrounding areas.
 
“Potters as they are called are clay artists living here for many years. The closest history goes back to times when British settled in Calcutta at Fort William while allotting lands to natives who were divided according to their profession. ‘Coomar’ were the potters mostly with sir name ‘Pal’.”  from Shome Basu’s piece for the CNBC TV 18.

The idols that most commonly feature at the Durga puja are those of Goddess Durga, a lion said to be her mount and Mahishasur, the demon she is believed to have slain. Also sharing the stage are idols of Ganesha, Kartikeya, Saraswati and Laxmi moulded from clay in Kumartoli.
 
The puja at Kumartoli itself is well-known as one of the oldest in the city.