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Kolkata · Art
Kumartuli
Quarter of the Gods
Workshop lanes where goddesses for the pujas are shaped from Hooghly clay. Before Durga Puja, whole streets fill with unfinished goddesses.
The lanes where gods are made: hundreds of workshops shape Durga, Kali and Saraswati from Ganges clay and straw for every Bengali festival. You can watch the whole cycle, frame to the painting of the eyes. The craft has been inherited here for three centuries; shoot with respect and ask the artisans first.
Who it suits
the god-makers' lanes photographers craft in the raw
Staying here
No, it's a morning walk from the centre.
In the evening
Morning light is best; before Durga Puja the workshops never sleep.
Getting there
Ⓜ Shobhabazar Sutanuti (Blue)
Other areas of Kolkata
BBD Bagh (Dalhousie)Park StreetThe Maidan & VictoriaShobhabazarCollege StreetKalighatDakshineswar & Belur
Areas on the map
In the app: the city's areas on the map, the places inside and a route.
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