The photos in this photo series will show different stages of idol-making in the dingy lanes of Kumartuli (clay-workers' colony) in Kolkata. These idols are then carried to different locations all over the city for different festivals, most importantly the festival of Durga Puja, which is the five-day worship of the Goddess Durga in October.

The idols are made with clay applied over a bamboo and straw skeleton. Heads are made from clay using molds. After the clay is smoothed and dried, the idols are painted and dressed in fabric and ornaments. Here, an idol of the goddess Saraswati waits for the clay to dry before the final layer is applied.