Kumartuli, Kolkata’s legendary hub of idol artisanship, has once again affirmed its prominence— this time by honouring Assam’s cultural icon, Zubeen Garg. Known for sending exquisitely sculpted idols from the United States to Britain and from Moscow to Australia, Kumartuli has now been entrusted with a deeply symbolic commission— creating fibre statues of the late singer that will stand across Assam as public memorials.
More than 70 fibre idols have been commissioned, with nearly 10 scheduled to be dispatched to Assam within days. Several statues have already been flown in by air cargo. These installations are expected to adorn major roads, parks and prominent public spaces across the state, though officials have yet to formally announce the exact locations.
Among the busiest craftsmen is potter Raja Pal, who is giving finishing touches to a four-and-a-half-foot sculpture of a smiling Zubeen Garg. Working under tremendous pressure to meet deadlines, he noted, “I have orders for seven more Zubeen statues. We are working almost non-stop. Only when each idol is perfect will I send it.”
Fellow artists Samar Pal and Kamal Pal said the volume of orders itself reveals the depth of Assam’s affection for Garg. “You can feel the devotion of the people of Assam through the sheer number of requests,” they remarked.
The sentiment is echoed by Babu Pal of the Kumartuli Pottery Organisation, who described the assignment as an honour of the highest order. “The people of Assam trust that our hands can breathe life into an idol. Their faith in us is our greatest privilege.”
This season is typically calmer for Kumartuli, with Durga Puja, Kali Puja and Jagaddhatri Puja over and Saraswati Puja still months away. Fibre-idol work usually trickles in at this time, but never in such extraordinary quantities. Most fibre sculptors generally create busts or full-length figurines for museums, institutions or private collectors— yet now, Zubeen Garg’s likeness has entered that distinguished repertoire.
As they work, many artists find themselves recalling the legacy of Gopeshwar Pal, Kumartuli’s legendary sculptor whose studio still houses astonishingly lifelike figures— a bullock cart poised to move, a vendor on the verge of stepping forward. This tradition of breathing vitality into inert material is what keeps Kumartuli singular and revered.
Perhaps that is precisely why Assam turned to Kumartuli in this moment of collective remembrance. In these narrow lanes coated with clay dust and history, artistry becomes emotion, sculpture becomes homage— and the legacy of Garg finds a new life shaped by hands that have kept Bengal’s artistic soul beating for generations.
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