Porters Of Kumartuli. Editorial Photo

There is a community of hereditary clay idol makers living in a workshop-based township called Kumartuli, north of Calcutta. Densely populated, it is a hive of activity from June to the end of January as artisans get busy making scores of images for the annual autumnal Durga Puja festival. A potter’s colony ever since its inception - even before Calcutta existed - and a model-makers haven now, it is the home of the finest clay artisans in India.