Manik Pal hasn’t slept well in over two months. Durga Puja starts in less than two weeks, and every second is precious for the idol maker, who is in his early or mid 40s. Born in Nadia district in West Bengal, Pal — like many other kumors (potters) from the state — is in charge of decking up pandals in Delhi’s Chittaranjan (CR) Park. Work on the idols of Durga, her consort Shiva, children Ganesh, Kartik, Lakshmi and Saraswati, and Mahishasura is in full swing. The Chandralok Cinema Complex in the neighbourhood becomes Pal’s workshop for three months every year. Work starts on Rath Yatra, the day the potters perform the kathamo (frame) puja. A lump of black clay is smeared on straw to mark the beginning.
Pal and the other artisans also build idols for pandals outside Delhi, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. There are orders from the UK and the US as well. Idols for overseas clients are shipped at least a month before the festival. According to Govind Nath, the head artisan at Kalibari, a CR Park landmark, potters earn anything between ₹10,000 and ₹50,000 per order. The final touches are always kept for Mahalaya (an auspicious day about seven days before the pujas). This is the day the potters paint Durga’s eyes, in a ritual called chokkhudaan (literally ‘gifting of the eyes’).
The potters are not the only ones working hard. Tailors, especially blouse makers, are toiling round-the-clock. Restaurants are gearing up for the endless nights of biryanis, chicken rolls and fish fry. Quizzers are brushing up their general knowledge for the pre-Puja contests at the pandals. Singers and dancers — both amateurs and professionals — are rehearsing for their evening shows.