A feminine touch for the goddess: Kakoli Pal, Kumartuli idol-maker

[Guest guest]

Feminine touch for the goddess

July 6, 2008

The Telegraph

Calcutta

Jhinuk Mazumdar

 

Kakoli Pal, 32, is one of the few women artisans in

Kumartuli who make Durga and other idols. While there

are many women in Kumartuli who decorate idols, Pal

shapes the gods and goddesses from clay. She is helped

by her male assistants.

 

After the basic sculpting is done, she etches the face and

the other features of the idols. Pal also lends a hand to

decorating the idols.

 

Pal is an artisan out of necessity. She joined the

profession after the death of her husband Asim Pal five

years ago. Before that she used to assist him by

decorating the idols he sculpted.

 

Now, she herself makes all kinds of idols. The months

before Puja are the most hectic. " At times I have to work

till 3am. I try to do most of the work myself, so that I

have to hire very few workers. It helps lower the cost of

production. "

 

Pal has to travel a lot when she is working on the bigger

idols. Due to lack of space, she is forced to make them

at the organisers' place. " I feel a little awkward

sometimes since this is not conventionally a woman's

work, " she says.

 

On an average, Pal makes 12 idols during Durga puja.

They range from 5ft to 10ft in height. The orders come

mostly from within the city. The hard labour fetches her

hardly Rs 2,000 per month.

 

Work is on in full swing this year, though the puja is

three months away. " I have started making idols of

Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh. It becomes

difficult to make all the idols together once the pressure

starts mounting. "

 

The mother of two has to juggle home and work. " I have

to take care of my daughters, send them to school and do

the household chores. I also have to keep an eye on the

workers and ensure that they don't run out of nail, wood

and other materials, " says Pal.

 

Despite the hurdles, she enjoys her work and feels that

her conviction is her strength. " If I am determined I can

do any kind of work. "

 

" I have enrolled Tanusree, my younger daughter, in an

art school so that she can assist me when she grows up. "

 

Pal would also want to have a studio of her own some

day.

 

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080706/jsp/calcutta/story_9499597.jsp#

or

http://tinyurl.com/5htyyd

[Guest guest]

Do somebody here knows any art schools that teaches idol making to foreigners or

in their country ?

 

--- On Mon, 7/7/08, msbauju <msbauju wrote:

 

msbauju <msbauju

A feminine touch for the goddess: Kakoli Pal,

Kumartuli idol-maker

 

Monday, July 7, 2008, 9:05 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feminine touch for the goddess

July 6, 2008

The Telegraph

Calcutta

Jhinuk Mazumdar

 

Kakoli Pal, 32, is one of the few women artisans in

Kumartuli who make Durga and other idols. While there

are many women in Kumartuli who decorate idols, Pal

shapes the gods and goddesses from clay. She is helped

by her male assistants.

 

After the basic sculpting is done, she etches the face and

the other features of the idols. Pal also lends a hand to

decorating the idols.

 

Pal is an artisan out of necessity. She joined the

profession after the death of her husband Asim Pal five

years ago. Before that she used to assist him by

decorating the idols he sculpted.

 

Now, she herself makes all kinds of idols. The months

before Puja are the most hectic. " At times I have to work

till 3am. I try to do most of the work myself, so that I

have to hire very few workers. It helps lower the cost of

production. "

 

Pal has to travel a lot when she is working on the bigger

idols. Due to lack of space, she is forced to make them

at the organisers' place. " I feel a little awkward

sometimes since this is not conventionally a woman's

work, " she says.

 

On an average, Pal makes 12 idols during Durga puja.

They range from 5ft to 10ft in height. The orders come

mostly from within the city. The hard labour fetches her

hardly Rs 2,000 per month.

 

Work is on in full swing this year, though the puja is

three months away. " I have started making idols of

Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh. It becomes

difficult to make all the idols together once the pressure

starts mounting. "

 

The mother of two has to juggle home and work. " I have

to take care of my daughters, send them to school and do

the household chores. I also have to keep an eye on the

workers and ensure that they don't run out of nail, wood

and other materials, " says Pal.

 

Despite the hurdles, she enjoys her work and feels that

her conviction is her strength. " If I am determined I can

do any kind of work. "

 

" I have enrolled Tanusree, my younger daughter, in an

art school so that she can assist me when she grows up. "

 

Pal would also want to have a studio of her own some

day.

 

http://www.telegrap hindia.com/ 1080706/jsp/ calcutta/ story_9499597. jsp#

or

http://tinyurl. com/5htyyd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

That's so awesome. I'm glad that she is looking forward to having her daughter

help her.

Sounds like she's got her hands full.

 

By the way, I came home tonight and found the light of the setting sun

illuminating my

Durga altar which is against the southern wall of my meditation room. I was so

glad that I

caught that moment. I know that as the sun begins her journey south that won't

happen

again... until next year.

 

Her face looked so beautiful in the golden light.

 

namaste,

 

pr

 

 

, " msbauju " <msbauju wrote:

>

> Feminine touch for the goddess

> July 6, 2008

> The Telegraph

> Calcutta

> Jhinuk Mazumdar

>

> Kakoli Pal, 32, is one of the few women artisans in

> Kumartuli who make Durga and other idols. While there

> are many women in Kumartuli who decorate idols, Pal

> shapes the gods and goddesses from clay. She is helped

> by her male assistants.

>

> After the basic sculpting is done, she etches the face and

> the other features of the idols. Pal also lends a hand to

> decorating the idols.

>

> Pal is an artisan out of necessity. She joined the

> profession after the death of her husband Asim Pal five

> years ago. Before that she used to assist him by

> decorating the idols he sculpted.

>

> Now, she herself makes all kinds of idols. The months

> before Puja are the most hectic. " At times I have to work

> till 3am. I try to do most of the work myself, so that I

> have to hire very few workers. It helps lower the cost of

> production. "

>

> Pal has to travel a lot when she is working on the bigger

> idols. Due to lack of space, she is forced to make them

> at the organisers' place. " I feel a little awkward

> sometimes since this is not conventionally a woman's

> work, " she says.

>

> On an average, Pal makes 12 idols during Durga puja.

> They range from 5ft to 10ft in height. The orders come

> mostly from within the city. The hard labour fetches her

> hardly Rs 2,000 per month.

>

> Work is on in full swing this year, though the puja is

> three months away. " I have started making idols of

> Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh. It becomes

> difficult to make all the idols together once the pressure

> starts mounting. "

>

> The mother of two has to juggle home and work. " I have

> to take care of my daughters, send them to school and do

> the household chores. I also have to keep an eye on the

> workers and ensure that they don't run out of nail, wood

> and other materials, " says Pal.

>

> Despite the hurdles, she enjoys her work and feels that

> her conviction is her strength. " If I am determined I can

> do any kind of work. "

>

> " I have enrolled Tanusree, my younger daughter, in an

> art school so that she can assist me when she grows up. "

>

> Pal would also want to have a studio of her own some

> day.

>

> http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080706/jsp/calcutta/story_9499597.jsp#

> or

> http://tinyurl.com/5htyyd

>