Steeped in history and traditions, Kumartuli, a small neighborhood tucked away in the extreme north of the city is the abode to if we may call them – the God makers of the city. It is here that the potters who have been living here since generations churn out idols for the myriad festivals which happen in the city throughout the year. The popular saying here – Baroh maase tero parban (13 festivals in 12 months) is what keeps the colony of approximately 4000 families of sculptors busy throughout the year. The maze of lanes and by-lanes in Kumartuli are always buzzing with activity, reaching the high point in the months preceding the Big Fat Bengali Carnival – Durga Puja. It’s a different world altogether here – the narrow streets flanked by cavernous workshops that are packed with a plethora of idols of gods and goddesses in various stages of completion.

But being a locality in the oldest part of the city, the labyrinth of streets holds many hidden gems which are an integral part of the city’s 300-year-old heritage. Century-old temples, houses, and mansions with interesting stories attached to them, sports history and other trivia – all wait in anticipation to be discovered and known.