Performance of Idolmaking: Intersection of Caste, Tradition and Space Among Mritshilpis of Kumartuli

Abstract

Kumartuli, an artisanal neighbourhood in North Kolkata, is home to custodians of the intricate idol-making craft, which has been primarily passed down through generations as a form of heritage and knowledge. The craft, practised by the Kumbhars (potter), represents a dynamic interplay of heritage and innovation, mediated by the locality's socio-cultural aesthetics and spatial fabric. Various anthropological studies have attempted to visualise Kumartuli as a locality, situated at the rich intersection of culture, aesthetics, and art, drawing a connection between the ecologies of work and ritual practices prevalent within the community structure. The community lies at the intersection of deep-rooted caste structures and struggles to preserve the sustainability of the craft in the current scenario of iconographic processuals. This paper attempts to analyse the lived experiences of idol makers, drawing on the convergence of caste as a form of social capital and folklore, which embodies oral history and space as a manifestation of social construct. Through qualitative interviews, this paper explores how individual idol makers navigate the complex intersection of cultural and religious symbolisms that shape their process of identity formation in the day-to-day schema of life.