Kumartuli

Anindita Mazumder

Kumartuli is the oldest neighbourhood of artisans in Calcutta which has survived the onslaught of time and change. Demographically, it has seen the least change as it is still largely a Hindu neighbourhood, dominated by Kumbhakars, easily identified by their surname, Pal.

According to HEA Cotton, the new fort was built at the centre of the “populous flourishing village of Govindpore. A portion of the ‘restitution money’ was spent in compensating the inhabitants to settle in other parts of the town notably, Toltollah, Coomartolly and Sobhabazar.  Holwell, the company’s agent, allotted separate districts to the company’s workmen including Suriparah (place of wine-sellers), Maidaputty (flour market), Colootollah (oil-sellers), Chuttarparah (for carpenters), Chunam  Gully (lime lane), Molunga (place of salt works), Aheeritollah (cowherd’s quarters) and Coomartolly (potter’s quarters).

It may be noted that tola referred to para or locality while tuli meant a minor one. Kumartuli, located at the western part of Bagbazar, was actually a tiny part of it. Old maps show Kumartuli as a triangular-shaped neighbourhood nestled between Chitpore Road, Sovabazar Street and the Ganges. There was locational advantage too since different varieties of clay came from the river bank while bamboo and straw was supplied by the boats plying up and down the river.

Kumartuli was one of the 31 thanas of Calcutta in 1785. Demographically, till 1911 it had the highest concentration of Hindus. Significantly, whereas  Shakharitolla or Darjipara lost their identity, Kumartuli certainly retained its distinctiveness driven by economics of the market, due to ever growing number of Pujas, particularly sarbojonin ones.

The first kumors or potters certainly hailed from Krishnanagar and Ghurni, Nadia. Initially, they made the idols at the thakurdalans of their patrons. The elite who had congregated at Bagbazar and Sovabazar – required the skills of the kumors who made clay images according to the scriptures; but round the year they also made pots, utensils, tiles and dolls.

Subsequently, the artisans wanted settle down and were granted a piece of land either by Govindram Mitra or by Gokul Mitra, whose house and Madanmohan temple stand at the entrance of Kumartuli, on Upper Chitpore Road.

Kaliprasanna Singha in Hutom Pyanchar Naksha gave a detailed description of the clay modellers of Krishnangar who would come and settle at Kumortuli and neighbouring Siddheswaritola on the eve of Durga Puja. The entire area would witness a hub of activities; jute fibres being dyed and dried to fashion out the hair, imitation jewellery and sparkling brocade and tinselled cloth pieces and arms made of tin and brass – required to decorate the image – being sold in the open.

Kumartuli had its share of the rich and the famous residents including Banamali Sarkar, Govindram Mitra and Kaviraj Gangaprasad Sen who had treated Rani Rasmoni and Ramkrishna Paramhansa. Both Banamali Sarkar and Govindram Mitra were immortalised by the proverb:

“Banamali Sarkarer bari
Govindaram Mitrar chhari”

Banamali Sarkar, the first dewan to the Resident of Patna built his magnificent mansion at Kumartuli between 1740 and 1750. A long winding street in Kumartuli still bears his name. Govindaram Mitra was infamous for his “chhari” or stick, symbolising the immense power he wielded as the “black” or Indian deputy to the British zamindar of Calcutta. Amassing huge wealth he went on to build a “nabaratna” temple on Chitpore Road which was destroyed due to natural calamity in 1737. His residence was built on 50 bighas of land at Kumartuli. Ramnidhi Gupta, more popularly known as Nidhubabu was also a resident of Kumartuli. Despite such magnificent mansions, Kumartuli by and large resembles a network of alley and slum quarters, where place of work and residence are often the same.

Each workshop has a hierarchical workforce, headed by a puro karigar, karighar, adha karigar and jogale (helper). Women of the family are involved in modelling. Since sarbojonin puja committees preferred their idols armed and decorated at Kumartuli it has become a beehive of ancillary crafts.

Kumartuli’s own puja was started in 1933; its most famous son, Gopeshwar Pal revolutionised idol making by rejecting the ekchala form and adopted the posture where Mahisashurmardini is depicted in action while killing the evil asura.

Today, Kumartuli is in a grip of change where the slums quarters may be replaced by modern studios and better living conditions.