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, a finished but unpainted idol of the goddess Durga with clay jewelery awaits painting.