Kumartuli
কুমোরটুলি
A traditional potters’ quarter in north Kolkata, where hundreds of workshops shape deity figures from river clay and straw, including Durga.
Kumartuli has a history of about 300 years. Along its narrow lanes are workshops where artisans use bamboo frames, straw, and clay from the Hooghly River to sculpt deity figures, then paint them and add headdresses and ornaments. Every year they produce several thousand statues for the Durga Puja festival, and some are exported overseas. The area is busiest in the weeks before the festival in August to October, but it is also worth visiting at other times. Entry is free. Please ask permission before photographing inside workshops. Take the Circular Railway to Sovabazar or the ferry to Kumartuli Ghat.
Opening hours
About 9:00 AM–7:00 PM (workshops)
Nearby sights
- Jorasanko Thakur Bari
- Marble Palace
- Howrah Bridge
- Mallick Ghat Flower Market
- College Street & Indian Coffee House
- Nakhoda Masjid
- Tiretta Bazaar (Old Chinatown)
- B.B.D. Bagh & Writers' Building