Inside Kumartuli 2026: From AI Durga to raw material crisis, how are potters spending their days?

 

Inside Kumartuli 2026: From AI Durga to raw material crisis, how are potters spending their days?

The cloudy sky of autumn, the smell of swill in the air and the swaying of the kash announce that Mother is coming. However, if you listen closely to this familiar smell in the alleys of Kumartuli on the banks of the Ganges in North Kolkata, a different tune can now be heard. Just as tradition and modernity are struggling there on one side, so too is the familiar struggle for livelihood on the other.

Kumartuli's pottery stands at a strange juncture in the 2026 Durga Puja. On one side is the digital perfect design of the algorithm, on the other is the touch of the artist's muddy fingers. How are potters spending their busy days this time?

AI Durga vs. Old Mold: Kumartuli Faces New Trends

One of the biggest topics of discussion across the city during this year's Puja is 'AI Durga'.  Several puja committees are taking help from artificial intelligence in everything from the decoration of the pavilion to the outline of the idol. The bright light of the screen is creating unfamiliar color schemes, surreal shapes and complex geometric designs. Entrepreneurs are running to the studios of Kumartuli with their digital concepts printed or on their phones—"Dada, I have to make a perfect idol just like this."

However, the interesting thing is that the reverse current of this digital storm of AI is also quite strong. In the rush of ultra-modernity, many Banedi and Barwari pujas are now going back to their roots. The demand for idols with dak saaj, ekchala and old Bengali faces has increased noticeably this year. Many visitors and entrepreneurs think that the pixels of the screen may be able to draw a perfect picture, but the longing and maternal form of the ekchala Durga's eyes come alive only with the stroke of an artist's brush.

 Raw material crisis: The blow of not getting jute from Bangladesh

No matter how trendy the practice is outside, the reality inside the artists' homes is quite difficult. One of the main materials for making idols is good quality jute and straw, which are essential for the structure's binding and the stability of the soil. Traditionally, a large portion of high-quality soft and strong jute used to come from Bangladesh.

However, due to recent geopolitical and commercial complications, the supply of jute from Bangladesh has been practically stopped or severely limited this year. As a result:

High price of alternative jute: The price of jute available from the local market is much higher than last year.

Increased production costs: Not only jute, but also the prices of bamboo, straw, clay and paints have increased suddenly.

Budgetary strain: Since the budget is finalized in advance, the burden of additional costs is often borne by the artists from their own pockets. Since the budget of the puja committees is fixed, it is not possible to take the entire additional cost from them.

 Algorithm's answer to finger magic

In the eyes of the veteran potters of Kumartuli, AI is not a cause for fear, but a new curiosity. In the words of one artist, "A computer may be able to imagine an incredibly beautiful form of an idol, but no software can do the work of mixing rice husk and jute with Ganga clay and bringing life to that structure. Only the hand knows when the soil will absorb water and where the last stroke of the brush will stop."

The artists are working day and night, struggling with the shortage of raw materials and high market prices. Wet clay is being dried in the heat of the oven, and eye donation is being done at night.

The 2026 Kumartuli reminds us that as technology advances, the value of the human touch will increase. These clay craftsmen are creating both the dazzling imagination of AI Durga and the magical form of the old idol with their skills.  Overcoming the challenges of raw material shortages and cost, the artist ultimately triumphs, transforming a small piece of straw into a ten-pointed masterpiece at his touch.