It was supposed to be a sombre morning, but it wasn’t. Serious-looking men, clad in white dhotis, on their way to offer tarpan to their ancestors, were contrasted by a bunch of colourfully dressed, smiling youngsters. Much to the annoyance of the artisans, the DSLR-armed young brigade was determined to capture every last shade of colour Kumartuli had to offer on Mahalaya morning. Through this colour, creation and chaos, Adrian Pratt, the director of the American Center, Kolkata, took a tour of the area with My Kolkata on Sunday. Glimpses from his visit…
Pratt was impressed by how the large idols were being carried and loaded on the trucks. “Last night, I was in Delhi airport when a gentleman asked me not to go to Kolkata for the next two weeks. He said it would be extremely crowded and I wouldn’t like it! I would not have missed it for anything,” he said.
Walking down the crowded lanes of Kumartuli and looking at photographers trying to capture artisans at work, Pratt said, “These artisans are like rock stars. All these people are trying to get a glimpse of them.”
Artisans had barred the entry of visitors to their studios by tying ropes at the main entrance. However, Pratt enjoyed the artworks and idols from the outside, while learning about various styles of Durga idols.
It was a moment of surprise when Pratt saw the old radio shop at Kumartuli. While he had heard about the legacy of Chandipath in Kolkata on Mahalaya, he didn’t expect to see an old shop like this. “In the US, the culture of repairing is not vert prevalent. It’s fascinating to see that people still repair and use their old radio sets in Kolkata,” he said.
With the smell of fresh kochuri and steaming sabji in the air, the walk was diverted a bit. “Indian food is love. It tastes awesome, but it is often a bit spicy for me,” Pratt said, while taking photos of the huge kadhai with boiling oil and kochuris cooking in it.
It was not just the photographers, but several teenaged girls who were there to hunt for the best DPs for their social media pages. Pratt didn’t think twice before taking a couple of shots with the group.
Hundreds of men offering tarpan at Kumartuli ghat was a sight to behold. When Pratt learnt about the story behind the ritual, he was even more fascinated.
