The state has two prominent villages of doll makers, which are easily accessible from Kolkata.
Notungram Wooden dolls:
When it comes to Wooden dolls, we think of Etikoppaka or Kondapalli dolls of Andhra Pradesh, Channapatana dolls of Karnataka and the Wooden owlet of Bengal. This Iconic Wooden owlet is created in Notungram.
Sutradhar/ Bhaskar or the Storyteller families of this village are engaged in crafting dolls. It is crafted from a single piece of wood, mainly gamar' wood, mango wood, shimul wood, ata wood, and chatim wood and painted in vibrant colours. The figures are associated with Mythology or folklore.
Males are skilled in cutting and carving wood, and females decorate them with bright colours. There are a few distinct varieties of dolls found at Natungram. Most popular is the owlet, which is considered a companion of Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. It is painted with red, green and yellow on a white base, with black colour used to paint the eyes and borders. The royal influence of the Burdwan kingdom introduced the making of Raja Rani and soldier dolls, and the wave of Bhakti movement in Bengal in the 15th and 16th centuries introduced the Gour-Nitai dolls, a pair of male figures with hands outstretched over their heads.
Like other traditional handicrafts, these doll makers also had some difficulties continuing this art form until the State's Department of MSME, in association with UNESCO, developed Natungram as one of the Rural Craft Hubs of the state.
Any visitor at Natungram can witness the artists at work, explore the Folk Art Centre, communicate with the artisans & learn the stories behind it, access their workshop and buy souvenirs from them.
Ghurni-Clay dolls: Krishnanagar
The craft of clay doll making is about 200 – 250 years old tradition, predominantly practised in Ghurni. The community of craftsmen are known as Kumbhakars, and they are potters and clay modellers. These clay dolls of Ghurni are special because of their designs, colours, techniques and stories. The artisans capture and recreate everyday life, work, mood and characters. Their intricate artistic handwork & colour gives these clay dolls close to reality representation.
The craft exhibitions are organized in different parts of the country. It is largely displayed in the Shankar's Doll Museum in New Delhi, and also they have been to exhibitions held in London, Paris and Boston.
The dolls are made with soil from River Ganga. The dolls represent ordinary people associated with various occupations and work in our society. Be it fisherman, cobbler, vegetable/fruit seller, farmer, rag picker, basket weaver, priest, teacher, Bengali Bridegroom, Santhal couple, group of Kirtan singers, God- Goddesses, famous people etc. The fruits, vegetables, birds, and animals are so real in shape, size and colour. The skill is a native legacy of the families through generations.
I have been to these villages in person and find them worth visiting. It is a request to every visitor, please keep a day in hand to explore these places whenever you are in Kolkata.