kumortuli
Home of the God Makers
History of Kumartuli does not start as settlement of clay-idol makers. Coomartolly or Kumartuli was not originally a settlement of the idol makers as we know it today. In fact, as the name suggests, it was the settlement of the potters (Kumar/Kumor/Coomor/Coomar = Potter) who shaped clay pots and jars for the masses.
After defeat of Shiraj-ud-daulah in the Battle of Plassey in 1757 the British started setting up Fort William in the erstwhile village of Govindapur. The population there gradually moved north to the area of Sutanuti with the rich people choosing the area around Jorabagan and Sutanuti Hatkhola. J. Z. Holwell was asked by the Directors of the East India Company to allot separate areas to the various tradesmen. These men were to provide the basic services to the Company people. Coomartoly was established along with Ahiritolla (settlement of the milkmen), Colootolla (settlement of the oil merchants), etc. which actually housed people engaged in these professions and all these areas were in and around Govindapur and Sutanuti. By the last days of eighteenth century, Burrabazar emerged and the traders gradually took over the areas inhabited by these artisans. The potters who used the Ganga clay for making their wares and sold them at the market of Sutanuti diminished in numbers and only a few from Kumartuli survived. Later on, as the rich became richer, they started celebrating various religious festivals like Durga Puja, Kali Puja, etc. in their mansions which were in the nearby area. In fact, the present day Kumartuli is located near the residences of some of the most famous rich men of Calcutta like Nandaram Sen, Gobinda Ram Mitra, and others. (The lane that runs across Kumartuli is known as Banamali Sarkar’s Street too after one of these rich men.) At this time these potter families started trying their hands at idol making and later this became the profession of the area. Presently there are many established families carrying on the tradition. A close look at the ancestry of these families will show that most of them emigrated from Krishnanagar in Nadia district of West Bengal over the centuries. So the clay-idol making tradition of Krishnanagar traveled with them. Except for the hot summer months you will find hundreds of idols lining up the narrow lanes of present day Kumartuli. The dingy lanes may apparently seem to be a deterrent but a peep into the studios of the artists will give you a glimpse of the immaculate craftsmanship which has become legendary not in India but also abroad. An effort was started to redesign the area to give it a thorough makeover to make it modern, more environment friendly as well as establish it as one of the tourist attractions of Kolkata. Some of the families were even shifted to a kilometer or so north at Bagbazar to facilitate the task. However, the effort have taken a backseat and all work associated with the makeover has stopped. The artists of Kumartuli are alive with hope that someday the work will start again and Kumartuli can become a real showcase of the fine skill that these men and women posses. other places
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