“Dugga thakur banachhi, samne to Pujo (I am making a Durga idol, Durga Puja is almost here),” said the little boy, dabbing the clay model in his hand with a wet paintbrush. The boy’s hurried pace is explained by the incomplete clay models of Ganesh, Kartik, Saraswati and Lakhsmi put out to dry in the sun.
Meet Kishore Sardar, who lives on a pavement in Sovabazar, with his family.
The third son of a van puller, Kishore makes idols of different deities. He says he makes the idols for himself and worships them on a little altar made with an old wooden shelf that he has placed in one corner of the pavement.
“I am making Durga and her children. The Durga idol is almost ready but her children need more work,” said the 11-year-old boy.
Kishore holds up his incomplete Durga and Ganesh idols. Jaismita Alexander
“He has not learnt idol-making anywhere. He brings clay from the banks of Hooghly and makes the idols on his own,” chipped in Kishore’s sister.
Kishore’s father, Babu, said artists from Kumartuli have offered to keep Kishore as an apprentice so that he can learn but he doesn’t want to leave his family and go. “They say that he’s talented and can do a lot more if trained properly,” the father said.
But Kishore doesn’t want to leave his family and go anywhere. “I learn by watching them work,” Kishore said in between brushing his idol with water.
Kishore used to study at a nearby government school before the pandemic but did not return after the lockdown. “He doesn’t want to study anymore. This (making idols) is what he wants to do. Last year, during Kali Puja, he made an idol of Kali and gifted it to his teacher. He appreciated a lot and tried to convince him to learn more but he didn’t listen,” Kishore’s father said.
While Kishore’s siblings play on the pavement, he spends hours making idols. At times, he wanders around Kumartuli, watching the artisans at work.
Asked whether he would like to sell his idols, Kishore said: “I make them for myself. I will place it on the altar, offer prayers and light incense sticks the days of Durga Puja. I may sell them when I grow up.”
The erratic showers this time has put Kishore behind schedule. “He is running late. That’s why he’s trying to teach his younger brother so that he can lend a hand. But he’s too small (seven years old) and is hardly able follow the instructions,” said Kishore’s sister.
“A few hours of sunshine will help dry up the idols and make them ready for a coat of paint. But if it keeps raining, I will let them be. I think they look pretty unpainted, too,” Kishore said, holding up an idol with a sense of pride at his creation.
Kishore has arranged for some paints and paintbrushes. Many passersby stop to watch him work and some of them hand him some money to buy paints and other things.
“You like it? I can make one for you, too, but I can’t finish before Puja,” said Kishore with gleaming eyes.
With six mouths to feed, Kishore’s father hardly earns Rs 2,000-3,000 a month but wishes his son can put his talent to use. “We know it is his faith that drives him to make these idols. Many people have said he has inherent a talent. I encourage him to learn but he’s still very young. Hopefully, one day he will,” said the proud father.