Marking a historic milestone, the Indian Museum, Kolkata—Asia’s oldest and largest museum—is hosting Durga Puja on its premises for the first time ever. Presented under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in association with SHE Kantha, the special showcase titled “Devi Durga: Śakti, Mātri, Karuṇā” was unveiled in the museum’s Central Courtyard.

Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons has created gold jewellery for the idols of Goddess Durga and her children at the Indian Museum in Kolkata, which is hosting its first Durga Puja celebration.

The jewellery will be displayed as part of the museum’s programme, ‘Devi Durga: Shakti, Matri, Karuna’, which brings together historical representations of the Divine Feminine and contemporary interpretations of Bengal’s traditional crafts. The exhibition, ‘Devi Durga – From Matri to Mahashakti’, explores the evolution of the goddess’s representations and adornments.

The necklace designed for Goddess Durga incorporates the symbolism of Navratri’s nine days and the goddess’s nine forms into a single piece. The jeweller has also created traditional jewellery for Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik.

In keeping with Bengal’s revered Sabeki tradition, the Kumartuli-crafted idols are presented in their raw, natural clay finish, adhering to this year’s Swadeshi and Sanatani ethos. Completing the divine shringar, celebrated heritage jeweller Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons has adorned the deities with custom-crafted, real gold temple jewellery accented with fine Polki and diamonds.

Central to the adornment is the Nav Avatar necklace created for Maa Durga. Designed to unite the nationwide spirit of Navratri with Bengal’s homecoming celebration, the singular masterpiece encapsulates all nine avatars of the Goddess. The accompanying deities feature tailored iconographic details: Maa Mahalakshmi is presented in her Gajalakshmi form with integrated silk elements, while Maa Saraswati’s ornamentation reflects her wisdom through the sacred Hamsa motif.

Engineered over a month by master karigars and technical designers, each bespoke piece features an openwork silhouette intentionally structured to complement the hand-embroidered drapes created by women artisans of the NGO SHE Kantha, ensuring the delicate threadwork remains visible beneath the gold.