Goddess in Transit: Kumortuli Photo Walk

As Mahalaya heralds the arrival of Maa Durga, Kumartuli enters its most intense and emotional phase. Behind every idol is the dedication of countless artisans, helpers, porters, drivers and families working tirelessly against the clock to prepare the city for its greatest festival.

This walk is an invitation to witness the journey rather than the making.

In keeping with responsible documentary photography, we will not enter the workshops or interrupt the artisans during this crucial period. Instead, we will remain along the main roads and the periphery of Kumartuli, where the finished idols emerge from the narrow lanes and are carefully lifted onto waiting trucks for their onward journey to puja mandaps across the city.

Our focus will be on the extraordinary human effort behind this transition—the shoulders that bear the weight of the divine, the coordinated teamwork required to navigate fragile idols through crowded streets, the anxious eyes ensuring every movement is safe and the fleeting moments where devotion, labour, logistics and faith converge.

This is not a walk about spectacle. It is about respect—for the people whose unseen work makes Durga Puja possible, for the sanctity of their craft and for the stories that unfold beyond the workshop doors.

Participants are encouraged to practice ethical street and documentary photography: maintain a respectful distance, avoid obstructing workers or vehicles, refrain from using intrusive flash and remember that every photograph should be made with empathy before curiosity.

Join us as we document one of Kolkata's most powerful annual transitions—when clay becomes deity, devotion takes to the streets and the Goddess begins her journey home.