
An idol-maker unlike any other, Paul moved away from these traditional one-cluster styles of idol-making when he was commissioned by organisers of Kumartuli Sarbojonin, one of the oldest community Durga Pujas in Kolkata, to make a Durga idol in 1932 or ’33. Charging 3,000 Rupees for the project — an unimaginable sum at the time — Paul broke all conventions of idol-making and created a new form that would soon become the norm.
Rather than positioning all figures in a single cluster in front of the same backdrop, Paul’s design divided them into five parts — each featuring one deity with their own backdrop. Additionally, he departed from the traditional ‘sabeki’ visage of the Goddess Durga, with large, oversized eyes and bright yellow “basonti” complexion, and sculpted her face to resemble that of an ordinary human being. He also gave the idols of Lakshmi and Saraswati noticeably younger and more playful appearances, making it obvious that they were supposed to be the daughters of Durga.