☰Kumartuli

Kumartuli is the potters' quarter in north Kolkata, where craftsmen have made clay idols — above all the elaborate figures of Durga, Kali, and Saraswati for the city's festivals — for centuries. In the weeks before Durga Puja, the narrow lanes fill with half-finished figures in various states of construction, from bare straw armatures to finished and painted goddesses awaiting final decoration. The best time to visit is September, when the work is at its most intense. Even outside the festival season, artisans are here year-round making figures for orders from temples and diaspora communities worldwide.