Durga Pujo: Kolkata's Favorite Festival

Kolkata, India

by Esha Samajpati

Chandeliers inside a Pandal. This time of the year does wonders to the economy of the city. Artisans are hired, decorative supplies are bought, gifts are exchanged and restaurants are filled beyond capacity. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati.

An artisan lays the finishing touches to the sculptures in his work-shop. These idols will be the point of focus in every Pandal. Each of these figures is made of bio-degradable materials like straw and clay. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati.

Painting in progress. The Goddess Durga is about to get some color on her clay exterior. The core of these models are filled with straw. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati.

The finger-tips of each Goddess is painted red to resemble a nail-art frequently sported by Bengali women in India until the fifties and the sixties. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati.

Batch production of Goddesses...base paint is being dried before the final coat is applied. Photo by Dibyaroop Samajpati.

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