# buildwith · Kumartuli idol makers & Durga Puja: sources

Row #3 of `experiences_v1.csv` (research pass 3 Oct 2026, IST). Dates and deadlines come from `cal.py` (date check 4 Oct 2026, IST), which is the source of truth for dates, with the 4 Oct 2026 source-rule audit applied. The page deliberately shows **no prices** and no contact emails; see the official site.

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Name, place (Kolkata (Kumartuli, Shobhabazar), India), continent | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 (primary) · https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php (secondary) |
| Usual timing: Sep-Oct | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 (primary) · https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php (secondary) |
| What you build / use: USE/observe: clay Durga idols and pandals built by Kumartuli artisans | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 (primary) · https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php (secondary) |
| How a traveller takes part: Watch artisans finish the clay idols in Kumartuli's workshops in the weeks before Durga Puja, then go pandal-hopping; hands-on sculpting with an artisan not verified | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 (primary) · https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php (secondary) |
| Participation level: Observe (spectator) | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 (primary) · https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php (secondary) |
| Entry requirements / deadline: None known. Guided walks: Unconfirmed: no official source | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 (primary) · https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php (secondary) |
| Verification note (research pass): Source audit 4 Oct 2026: event-listing and puja-calendar links removed. Dates from the West Bengal Government 2026 holiday list (No. 4188-F(P2), 27 Nov 2025); idol-making from UNESCO. Hands-on workshop UNVERIFIED. | experiences_v1.csv |
| Date: 10 Oct 2026: Mahalaya: the Durga Puja season begins (Kolkata). West Bengal Government 2026 holiday list. UNESCO: the eyes are painted onto the clay images on Mahalaya. Build/use: Watch artisans finish the clay Durga idols in Kumartuli's workshops. How to join: Visit the workshops respectfully (ask before photographing). | https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php |
| Date: 18–21 Oct 2026: Durga Puja, Kolkata (Maha Saptami to Vijaya Dashami). West Bengal Government 2026 holiday list: Saptami 18 Oct to Dashami 21 Oct. Build/use: See the finished idols and the pandals built by local artisans. How to join: Pandal-hopping, open to all. | https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php |
| Date: Oct 2027 · date TBC: Durga Puja 2027, Kolkata (idol-making in the weeks before; dates TBC). Government of India 2027 holiday list: Saptami 6 Oct to Vijaya Dashami 9 Oct. West Bengal's 2027 list is not out yet. | https://sromarol.esic.gov.in/attachments/circularfile/Holidays_to_be_observed_in_Central_Government_Offices_during_the_year_2027_reg_1786507084.pdf |
| Take-part route "Watch the idol-makers, then go pandal-hopping" (Watch & buy local): In the months before Durga Puja, small artisan workshops sculpt Durga from unfired river clay, and the eyes are painted on at Mahalaya (UNESCO). Visit Kumartuli's workshops respectfully in the weeks before the Puja, then see the pandals during the festival. Guided walks: Unconfirmed: no official source. | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Check note: Hands-on sculpting with an artisan is UNVERIFIED. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |
| Check note: Kumartuli as Kolkata's main idol-makers' quarter is widely known, but we found no official tourism page for it: Unconfirmed: no official source. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |
| Check note: 2026 dates come from the West Bengal Government holiday list: Mahalaya 10 Oct, Maha Saptami 18 Oct to Vijaya Dashami 21 Oct. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |

## Skills you'll need (section 03)

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Skills (this experience): Reading the stages of a Kumartuli clay idol (frame, clay layers, painting, eye-painting on Mahalaya); Respectful behaviour and photography in working artisan studios; Pandal-hopping: moving safely through Durga Puja crowds | Skills research, checked 2026-10-04 (IST) |
| Difficulty (our estimate): Beginner; prep time (our estimate): 1 hour reading and route planning. Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures. | Curiosta editorial estimate |
| Refresher, practice and safety steps: Kumartuli is a working quarter: artisans sculpt Durga and her family from unfired river clay in the months before the festival. You are a guest in their workplace. / Learn the sequence so you can follow what you see: a frame, clay applied in layers, drying, painting, then the eyes painted on Mahalaya to 'bring the goddess to life'. / Ask before photographing artisans or entering a studio; don't touch drying idols; keep lanes clear for workers carrying heavy pieces. / Buying a small clay piece directly from an artisan is the best way to take part. / During Puja, plan pandal routes, go early or late, and agree a meeting point with your group in case you get separated. / On immersion days, watch from designated spots; riverbanks get crowded and slippery. / Read the UNESCO description so you know what you are looking at. / Model a small clay figure at home to understand layering and drying. / Pick 5–6 pandals on a map in advance and plan a walking route. / Ask before photographing people; don't touch idols. / Crowds peak at night during Puja; agree a meeting point. / Take care on riverbanks on immersion days. | Our summary of the resources below |
| Resource (Official; publisher: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Section): Durga Puja in Kolkata – UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Authoritative description of the clay-idol craft, Mahalaya eye-painting and immersion. | https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703 |
| Resource (Official; publisher: UNESCO): Durga Puja inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List: Short UNESCO explainer on why the festival and its crafts were recognised. | https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/durga-puja-inscribed-unesco-representative-list-intangible-cultural-heritage-humanity |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Culture, Government of India): PIB release: UNESCO inscribes 'Durga Puja in Kolkata': Government of India's account of the inscription and its cultural significance. | https://www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1781868 |
| No official resource yet: No official etiquette or photography guide for Kumartuli yet. Hands-on sculpting with an artisan is unverified. | Skills research (gap recorded) |

See also: skills guide `skills/sculpting-sand-snow-clay/`

## Source audit (4 Oct 2026, IST)

Official sources first; non-official sources only if the event community widely accepts them, with evidence. Links removed or replaced on this page (old links are shown as plain text, not linked):

- Old: `allevents.in/kolkata/kumartuli-before-durga-puja-an-artisans-journey/…` → New: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/durga-puja-in-kolkata-00703. Why: Event-listing site. Replaced by UNESCO's Durga Puja page (idol-making in the months before the festival). The guided-walk listings are removed; walks are marked Unconfirmed.
- Old: `sharodiya.com/kolkata-durga-puja-schedule` → New: https://par.wb.gov.in/holidaylist.php. Why: Unofficial puja-calendar site. 2026 dates now come from the West Bengal Government holiday list (Mahalaya 10 Oct; Saptami 18 Oct to Dashami 21 Oct; the old 16 Oct start is corrected).

## Check notes shown on the page

- Hands-on sculpting with an artisan is UNVERIFIED.
- Kumartuli as Kolkata's main idol-makers' quarter is widely known, but we found no official tourism page for it: Unconfirmed: no official source.
- 2026 dates come from the West Bengal Government holiday list: Mahalaya 10 Oct, Maha Saptami 18 Oct to Vijaya Dashami 21 Oct.

## Our grouping

- Levels shown: Watch & buy local (our grouping of the CSV participation level "Observe (spectator)").
- Usual months used by the month filter: Sep, Oct.