Sculptors in Kumartuli bemoan shortage of clay, higher costs, intrusive content creators
Idol-makers in Kolkata's Kumartuli are facing a severe clay shortage during the peak festive season, leading to significantly higher costs for raw materials and concerns about profitability. Despite a temporary arrangement for Durga Puja, sculptors are struggling to make ends meet and fear going home with empty pockets.
Why it matters
This highlights the economic struggles of traditional artisans in India, the impact of supply chain issues and alleged smuggling on local industries, and the potential threat to cultural practices like idol-making. It underscores the vulnerability of small businesses to raw material price hikes and supply disruptions.
The idol-makers of Kolkata’s biggest potter colony in Kumartuli are facing an unprecedented problem in their profession — a shortage of clay during the peak festive season. The sculptors of Durga idols are paying hefty sums to get their hands on the good clay, many are lagging behind work, and struggling to make ends meet.
“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,” Samir Pal, a senior member of the Kumartuli Mritsilpa Sanskriti Samiti, a sculptors’ association in Kumartuli, told The Hindu.
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