The Hands Behind Durga

About this series

Photographer’s note

Durga Puja is more than a festival. Behind every beautifully crafted idol are the hands, patience and imagination of artists who work quietly for months to bring the goddess to life. This series looks at the people behind the idols—their craft, their struggles, their hopes, and the generations of knowledge they carry forward. Every year, as Durga Puja approaches, Kolkata begins to change. Streets fill with lights, pandals rise, and the familiar face of Maa Durga slowly appears in workshops across the city. But before the celebrations begin, there is a quieter world of clay, straw, bamboo, paint and hard work. The idol makers are the people who give form to an idea that millions of people will worship. Their work demands skill, patience and years of experience. From building the basic structure to shaping the face, painting the eyes and adding the final details, every stage carries the artist's personal touch. Yet their contribution is often seen only through the finished idol. The people behind the craft can remain invisible. Through this photographic series, I wanted to look beyond the finished image and understand the lives behind the craft. What does it mean to create Durga year after year? What has changed in the tradition? What challenges do these artists face? And what keeps them connected to this work? These photographs are a record of the people, places and gestures behind one of Bengal's most powerful cultural traditions. They are not only photographs of idols, but portraits of the hands and lives that make them possible.