In the village of Hatgacha, located in Kalna, former Bardwan, West Bengal, ordinary village life continues, but in one house, particularly active work is taking place. A statue of Goddess Durga is being formed from clay and straw. Tapas Pal's hands are constantly working because this time the goal is not just to create a statue, but to send it abroad.
This Durga statue, being prepared in the village of Kalna, will be sent to England, where it will be revered. The statue, which began its existence with local clay and straw, will travel thousands of kilometers to England. The artist who created this sculpture, Tapas Pal, is known for his unique works. He creates images in a traditional style but also works on new and original concepts.
Last year, his special statues of Saraswati, Durga, and Ganesha attracted public attention. This year he received about twenty orders, but one of them is different from the others. This statue is going to England. It turned out that a resident from Kolkata saw one of Tapas's works on social media, liked the statue, and contacted Tapas directly.
After a conversation, an order for the statue was placed. It was found that it is intended for the client's son living in England. Thus, the statue shown on social media connected the story of the artist from the village of Kalna with England. Tapas prepared this Durga statue in a traditional style, using mainly clay and straw.
The statue is about 28 inches high and weighs approximately 5 kilograms. It took seven to eight days to make, although some work is not yet finished. Therefore, Tapas and his family are busy finishing it, and work is ongoing around the clock. Now that the statue is almost ready, the next task is the safe delivery of it to England. Since the statue is made of clay, special packaging will be required, considering that the journey will be long and damage must be prevented during transit.
The artist, situated in a small village, is now preparing his work for such a journey whose final destination is not his village, but England. For Tapas's family, this is not just an order, but a turning point of joy. Tapas's father, Billnat Pal, himself works with clay, so this matter is not new to his family. Billnat Pal notes that his son creates very good statues, and the joy is especially great because the Durga statue, created by his son's hands, is going abroad.
What used to be done in the village is now going beyond the village limits. Local residents are also happy about Tapas's achievement. They say that Tapas's skill has long been known in the region, and his statues have been delivered to various parts of the country. However, this is the first statue to be sent abroad. Previously, Tapas's statues were sent across the country, but this time the route is significantly longer—from Kalna to England. And with it flies the aroma of village clay. The order for the statue was not received from a large studio or a famous sculptor, but after someone saw the statue on social media and contacted the artist. The internet eliminated the distance between the artist and the customer. This is a story of the artist's labor, the family's joy, and how village craftsmanship reaches abroad.