For the Bengali community, Durga Puja is not just a festival but a homecoming, a joyous reunion with the goddess and her family. At the heart of this celebration are the magnificent idols, or pratimas , meticulously crafted by artisans, most notably in Kolkata’s Kumartuli. The process is a sacred ritual, blending age-old traditions with artistic skill. As the festival nears, in Pune, too, artisans are busy giving finishing touches to Maa Durga idols.The journey of an idol begins with a bamboo and straw framework, which forms the skeletal structure of Maa Durga and her children. This is then layered with clay from the Hooghly river, and most importantly, a handful of soil from the courtyard of a brothel, known as punya maati . The sculptors shape the figures with intricate detail, using jute fibres to give the clay a strong, flexible texture. The idols are sun-dried, painted, and adorned with elaborate costumes and jewellery. The final and most significant step is chokkhudaan , the painting of the Goddess’s eyes on Mahalaya.