Susree Mukherjee : VOC

KOLKATA: In the narrow lanes of Kumartuli, the faces of Goddess Durga are taking shape as usual. But behind the familiar preparations, the character of the idol-making business appears to be changing. For generations, Durga idols have been the backbone of Kumartuli’s annual economy. This year, however, idol-makers are facing a more uncertain market, while demand for Lord Ganesha idols is emerging as a growing segment, particularly around Kolkata and its surrounding areas.

The contrast becomes clearer when this year is compared with 2025. Ahead of Durga Puja last year, Kumartuli witnessed strong demand from both domestic and overseas markets. The number of Durga idols and accompanying figures sent abroad reportedly rose from around 240 in 2024 to more than 300 in 2025, indicating a healthy international market for traditional Bengali idols.

The picture in 2026 is more complicated. Shortages of clay and bamboo, prolonged rain, labour constraints and delays in receiving orders have affected the production schedule. Kumartuli artisans said in June that problems with the supply of clay had pushed back their work by nearly one-and-a-half to two months.

The nature of demand has also changed. According to sections of the artisan community, orders for large, experimental and theme-based Durga idols have declined this year, while traditional, relatively smaller and easier-to-transport idols are seeing greater demand. Some artisans estimate that overall Durga idol orders have fallen by around 25–30 per cent compared with last year. However, these figures are based on market experience among individual artisans and should not be treated as an official measure of a decline in the number of Durga Puja celebrations across West Bengal.

That distinction is important. A fall in orders received by particular Kumartuli workshops does not necessarily mean that Durga Puja itself is becoming less popular in Bengal. Durga Puja remains one of West Bengal’s biggest social, cultural and economic festivals, with preparations for the 2026 celebrations continuing across the state.

What appears to be changing more clearly is the structure of the idol market. Large experimental idols and elaborate themes are facing greater uncertainty, while traditional and compact idols are gaining preference. Rising raw-material prices, transportation costs, labour shortages and changing regulations have also influenced the size, design and budget of idols in recent years.

At the same time, another market is expanding rapidly.

Ganesh Chaturthi has gained a much stronger presence in Kolkata’s urban festival calendar, particularly among business communities, housing complexes and newly formed puja committees. A recent report suggested that the number of Ganesh Puja celebrations in Kolkata and adjoining areas could cross 800 in 2026, compared with around 350 last year. Kumartuli artisans have also reported an estimated 12–15 per cent increase in orders for Ganesha idols.

The growth cannot be explained by religion alone. Kolkata’s changing social composition, the expansion of residential complexes and commercial establishments, and the growing popularity of community-based celebrations have helped festivals once associated more strongly with particular communities or regions acquire a wider public presence.

Ganesh Puja is not the only example. Ram Navami, Hanuman Puja and Chhath Puja have also become increasingly visible in Kolkata and other urban centres of Bengal. The result is a more diversified festival economy, in which idol-makers and artisans are no longer dependent on a single major season for their income.

For Kumartuli, this diversification has an important economic advantage. Additional orders for Ganesha and other idols can provide artisans with work beyond the Durga Puja season and reduce their dependence on one annual market.

But there is another side to the change.

Durga idols are not simply commercial products. Kumartuli’s Durga-making tradition represents generations of artistic knowledge, craftsmanship and cultural continuity. If demand for large theme-based idols, innovative designs and experimental artistic work continues to weaken over the long term, questions could arise about the future of the more creative side of the craft.

Veteran Kumartuli artisan Indrajit Pal has also pointed to the impact of the prolonged disruption in clay supplies. According to him, the shortage delayed work by nearly one-and-a-half to two months. Even after supplies improved, recovering the lost production time was difficult.

The challenges facing idol-makers therefore cannot be attributed to a single factor. Raw-material shortages, rising costs, labour availability, transportation, weather conditions, changing consumer preferences and regulations concerning height, safety and environmental issues are all influencing the market.

The bigger story emerging from Kumartuli, therefore, may not be the decline of Durga Puja. It is the transformation of Bengal’s festival economy.

Durga Puja continues to occupy a central place in Bengal’s cultural life. But alongside it, Ganesh Puja and several other festivals are expanding their social and commercial footprint. For Kumartuli’s artisans, that means a market that is becoming more diverse—but also one in which the traditional dominance of Durga idol-making can no longer be taken for granted.

The question is not simply whether Durga Puja is declining. The more significant question is whether Bengal’s traditional festival economy is entering a new phase, where an expanding range of festivals compete for space, money, artisans and public attention.