Kolkata artisans travel to Pratapgarh four months early to craft Ganesha idols

Artisans from Kolkata have travelled to Pratapgarh four months in advance to craft Ganesha idols for the upcoming festival, continuing a family tradition that spans four decades in the city.

The Ganpati festival is celebrated with great fanfare across Pratapgarh district, and preparations are in full swing with pandals being decorated throughout the city. Idol makers from Kolkata arrive in Pratapgarh four months before the festival and stay on to devote themselves to sculpting the idols.

Shobhik Pal, an idol craftsman working near the Chilbila Hanuman temple in the city, explained that he represents the second generation of his family in this craft. His father has been making idols in Pratapgarh for the past 40 years. The family crafts idols of Ganesha, Nava Durga, Lakshmi and Kartikeya, earning their livelihood through this work.

Pal disclosed that they have so far created idols as tall as 24 feet. Currently, they are applying paint and finishing touches to a 16-foot-tall idol that has been ordered. Speaking about pricing, he said idols range from 4,000 rupees to the most expensive ones priced at 60,000 rupees. Even more expensive idols can be prepared on special order.

After working in Pratapgarh for four months, the artisans return to Kolkata where they have other work that they attend to for the rest of the year.