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The fired-clay dolls of Joynogor Mojilpur, a city in the rural district of South 24 Parganas of West Bengal, boasts an unparalleled earthen appeal of its own. These unique moulded clay dolls are presently manufactured single-handedly by Sambhu Das, the grandson of the legendary doll-making artist, Manmatha Das. The ancestors of the Das family had migrated to Bengal from Jessore (a district in the south-west region of Bangladesh) several years ago and Sambhu Das currently happens to be the only artist in Bengal who is struggling to keep this art form from going extinct. Manmatha Das was honoured with the prestigious President’s award in 1986 for his magnificent creation namely; Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra.
The use of a wide array of colours makes these figurines look exclusive and lively. Garjan oil used on these dolls enhances their lustre and makes them more appealing to look at.
The characters are of some popular Indian deities like Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh. Nandi who is seen standing beside Shiva, Bhringi who is positioned just beside Parvati, and last but not least, ‘Nandi the bull’ upon whom Parvati and Shiva, along with Ganesh, are sitting.
