Kolkata artisans return to clay and shola for Durga idols
In short
- About 5,200 idols were immersed across Hooghly ghats and nearby water bodies in 2025, according to The Times of India.
- Koushik Ghosh at Joy Durga Bhandar is working towards idols decorated with natural clay, shola and natural colours.
- Thermocol and plastic decorations can persist in the river, and volunteers have found them along the banks.
Why the Good News Desk likes this one
Thermocol and synthetic paints entered Kumartuli workshops because they were cheaper and faster, and they now litter the river after the festival. Koushik Ghosh is returning to bamboo, straw, clay and shola, which the story describes as the craft's older materials. The shift is still in progress, and the aim is to keep the craft affordable for the families who depend on it.
From The Better India
At Joy Durga Bhandar, a workshop in north Kolkata's Kumartuli, Koushik Ghosh begins an idol with a framework of bamboo and wood tied together with jute rope. From this base come the sculpted figures, decorations and layers of colour that devotees see during Durga Puja. Koushik knows this process well. For generations, artisans in Kumartuli have worked with bamboo, straw and clay, shaping idols by hand for Kolkata's Durga Puja celebrations. Over time, many workshops also adopted thermocol decorations, synthetic paints and plastic ornaments because they were quicker or cheaper to use....
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For kids
Durga idols are made by hand in a city called Kolkata. Some makers are using clay, straw and soft plant pith instead of plastic foam, so less waste ends up in the river. Their plan is still growing, but it is a kind change for the water. Talk about it: what material would you choose to make a special statue, and why?
