File:Basudev Paul-an old idol maker of Chandannagar.jpg

English: The story of Kumorpara in Chandannagar reflects the inherent tension between rapid urban growth and heritage, especially intangible heritage. The artisans live a life of precarity and face profound challenges every day. They spend their lives making idols of gods and goddesses with the hope that there is a god that will save them one day. Heritage is not just something associated with the past but also something that connects us with our present and accompanies us into the future too. To keep this connection between our past, present and future intact, it is important that we acknowledge the artistic wealth that is the idol-making community and address the issues of infrastructure and other basic necessities that are lacking. The people involved in making idols for generations are stuck in the present, and their future endeavors can be accomplished only if their works are acknowledged in appropriate platforms. Decision-makers and civil society need to acknowledge the city’s multiple traditions and recognize that intangible heritage—like the “lived” culture and art of the idol-making communities—is just as important and worthy of preservations our built heritage.

1. Kumorapara #livingheritageofChandannagar #intangibleheritageofBengal