Sanatan Rudra Pal
A Kolkata sculptor famous for towering Durga idols whose studio employs about a hundred artisans, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
Sanatan Rudra Pal is a Kolkata sculptor known for his tall, fierce Durga idols, sometimes called “Rudrani”, which are admired for their sculptural detail. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of art, from West Bengal [1].
Learning the craft
He was born on 1 March 1955 and began making idols at ten [2]. He learned under his uncle, Rakhal Pal, a President’s gold medal winner, and then his father, Mohan Banshi Rudra Pal [2]. As a young man he struck out on his own and built a successful business [2].
Studio
His studio, the Jayanti Art Museum in Kolkata, provides work for about a hundred artisans, more in the busy festival season [2]. His idols are also sent to buyers abroad [2]. Kolkata’s Durga Puja was added to UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021, and artists such as Pal are central to it [2].
Concerned about pollution, he makes eco-friendly idols that do not pollute the water when they are immersed [2]. He has won the Asian Paints and Berger Paints Sharad Samman awards for Durga Puja art [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2024: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2024: citation for Sanatan Rudra Pal — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 15 October 2026.
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