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(This article was first published on 22 September 2017. It is being reposted from The Quint’s archives to mark the beginning of Navratri/Durga Puja.)
Right at the beginning of the narrow lane that winds up towards Kumortuli – Kolkata’s famous locality that houses scores of idol makers – there lies a small little kiosk managed by a woman.
As you approach her and inquire about China Pal’s workshop’s location, she waves her hand towards a little shop near the end of the winding road and says, “That one”.
In a lane lined with shops, China Pal’s shop looks like it has forcefully claimed its spot, but it is hard to miss. Inside, China Pal, dressed in a pink saree sits and gives finishing touches to idols as her co-workers scurry around in the little workshop, adding ornaments to idols, painting the eyes of the goddesses and coordinating with clients on the phone.
Much like her shop, China Pal has also had to somewhat forcefully make her way into a profession that has been predominately run by men for centuries. ‘China Di’, as she is popularly called, comes from a family of idol makers but it was not a profession she chose herself.
China recalls that she was never encouraged by her father to take up his profession. “During his last few days, he was compelled to ask me for help.”
China’s foray into the business was also resisted by people outside the family. Many thought that she would give up soon.
A few metres ahead of China’s workshop, I inquire about Mala Pal – another woman who has made her mark in the line. Unlike China, who had to fight her way into a man’s world, Mala was brought into the line by her elder brother, Kalu Pal at the age of 14.
“I used to help my father, who was also a sculptor, from a very young age. I have always had an interest in sculpting,” says Mala as she proudly displays press clippings and the publicity the media has given her over the years. After a chance encounter with an official from Delhi’s Handicrafts department, a young Mala found herself in Delhi for two weeks receiving training in jewellery and idol making.
Mala’s inclusion in the profession, though, wasn’t smooth, recalls Kalu –
Mala’s husband, Bhanu, though has a different take,
While two men have ably supported Mala’s career, her neighbour Kakoli has had to face opposition from her family. Hailing from an artist’s family in Krishnanagar, Kakoli learned the tricks of the trade while working on the job.
The three women balance a household as well as a career with equal ease.
Kakoli, in between coordinating with clients on phone over the delivery of the idols, stirs vegetables in a pan and attends to her granddaughter at the same time.
“I don’t have too much time on hand. Can we make this quick?” she asks as I approach her for an interview. “Don’t you have someone to help you with household chores,” I ask.
“One daughter is married with a baby so her hands are full; the other one is in school. They do whatever they can,” says Kakoli.
The love for the work has kept China going and made her fight the odds over the years.
All three women encourage more women to take up this profession. Mala acts as a guarantor for many women at the local cooperative bank.
Mala’s daughter is studying commerce at the local municipal school. Would she want her daughter to take her legacy forward?
While the circumstances and the family background of all three women differ, it is their determination and the love for the work that has helped them carve a mark in a male dominated profession.
Long hours of work, especially during the peak season, also make a lot of women quit the profession.
What happens once Pujo is over, I ask?
Has criticism ever made her want to quit in these last 20 years?
“Never. I got the strength to fight the odds from Durga Maa herself,” says China with a smile.
(Shomini has written on lifestyle and entertainment for most part of her career. In a career spanning little over a decade, she has worked in Indiatimes, Zee News and Network18 – which was her last stint before she took a break to study Film Appreciation at FTII. While writing on cinema remains her first love, her other interests lie in topics like gender, society and Indian literature. An avid reader, she also dabbles in music and theatre when work permits her. Currently working as a freelancer, she is often found self musing on her personal blog. )
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Published: 22 Sep 2017,05:39 PM IST