Durga is believed to stay for five days to eradicate evil - buffalo demon Mahishasura - from the earth before returning to her husband, Lord Shiva, at Kailash on Dashami (the 10th day).
The potters of Kumartuli, who now have moved from obscurity to prominence thanks to their ingenuity, are busy blending tradition with the modern, giving shape to the idols of all sizes from the life-like to the miniature.
"Various sized showpieces of the deity are in the offing this year. One is a miniature coloured Durga in clay mounted on a thermocol leaf; another is a multicolored thermocol pot carrying a daab (green coconut) atop along with a clay goddess figure on the pot's surface," said Dipak Dey of Lokenath Shilpalaya.
Priced modestly, the pot-Durgas, supposed to adorn entrances, stand at three feet whereas the leaf-Durgas, meant to be wall-hanging, stretches to a foot-and-a-half, ensuring ease of transportation.
"The foreign tourists find it easy to carry and buy them as mementos. Locally we are doing good business as well with most of our products selling in the northeastern states," added Dey.
