She is a veritable Ma Durga in a man’s world

A lone woman in a male bastion, she initially faced much opposition and self-doubt. But today, this woman artisan who moulds idols of Gods and Goddesses has many satisfied customers throughout the length and breadth of West Bengal.

This woman has always stood alone. She remains determined and self-motivated to find her way in a patriarchal society. China Pal is an artisan in the all-male world of the idol-makers of Kumartuli, popularly known as the potters’ area in North Kolkata.

Breaching the male bastion was not easy – more so because China had absolutely no training. Her only qualifications were a course in tailoring, which gave her some idea of color combinations, and that she was her father’s daughter. China’s father, an idol-maker, passed away, and she stepped into his shoes in 1994, with no prior knowledge of the craft. Residents of Kumartuli, an area along the banks of River Hooghly, make their living almost exclusively out of pottery and idol-making. China is the youngest in her family. Her two elder brothers and three sisters chose to follow different paths in life. When her father, Hemanta Kumar died, China took over his studio, much to the disconcertment of the other idol-makers in the area. She learnt on-the-job, by observing others. 

China Pal immersed in her craft

China had much to conquer, not least of it the disapproval of the men of the area. When people would enquire about her, they would be sent away by the men in the other studios. When she kept her idols out to dry in the sun, just as all the others did, she would be asked to remove her pieces, for no good reason. “I never uttered a word. I never shouted back, although I mourned alone at times. I struggled alone,” she says. “I was inexperienced,” she remembers, “and I was scared of everything. Even while ordering materials – whether it was jewelry for the idol or tailored clothes – I would worry. ‘What if they don’t deliver?’”

Even small things, like the smell of the clay and the stench from the urinal nearby upset her initially. But gradually, she overcame the hurdles. She had felt awkward being the only woman working among men, but today, the men in the studios are like her family. She believes that her fortitude is a gift from Ma Durga, the goddess she worships. “I concentrated on my work and did well,” she says, adding that it is her belief in her destiny that made her popular as well as successful. And her customers helped. They explained to her exactly what they wanted, making it easy for her to satisfy them. “Everyone has their own struggles in life”, she says philosophically. “Success doesn’t come easy.”

Not enticed by dreams of making millions, China does not subscribe to the new-fangled notions of the ‘theme artisans’ but follows her father’s old-school style of idol making. She creates traditional forms of idols – Goddess Durga, her daughters Lakshmi and Saraswati and her sons Karthik and Ganesha are all based on the same platform, symbolizing the traditional joint family. And there’s more than family loyalty behind this decision. China says: “I enjoy making this traditional form of Ma Durga because, when everything is falling apart – the country, regions and families – I believe it will be good at least if we let the idols be together.”

Today, she gets many customers, including new ones, each year. Her idols grace club pujas and ordinary households alike. They can be seen in apartment complexes, maths (place for worship and religious preaching) and missions. They go all over the state, from Purulia to New Jalpaiguri, and in Kolkata, from Beckbagan through Hiland Park to DumDum Park. “Earlier, I was not known to anyone. Today, my work has earned me a name and goodwill. My customers are happy and satisfied. Everyone knows who China Pal is,” says the idol-maker, with satisfaction.

This article was originally published in Grassroots Magazine, Chennai: Source:http://bit.ly/1zUeGEQ