Chakrabarti, D., 2022.

Transitioning Infrastructures and Socio-Cultural Practices at the Idol-Making Cluster of Kolkata's Kumartuli

India nominated the Durga Puja festival for UNESCO's 2020 list of intangible heritage. Hand-crafted idols depicting religious deities are instrumental to the festival. They are largely produced by artists and craftsmen in Kolkata's inner-city neighbourhood of Kumartuli. The idol-making industry operates locally and transnationally, drawing on seasonal labour from the rural hinterland. However, market forces and shifts in governmental policies have been transforming Kumartuli in recent years. The co-evolution of social and cultural practices with the idol-makers' working and living spaces in Kumartuli is the focus of this chapter. The conceptual framing adopts elements of postcolonial and social practice theories. The methodology draws on a mix of architectural and human geography research methods. The chapter discusses emerging social, economic, and ecological challenges faced by the idol-making community as a result of recent transformations and reflects on the potential impact receiving UNESCO World Heritage status may have on the community and its practices.