New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- The world around Abhijeet Mandal is changing fast. Machines are getting smarter, artificial intelligence is taking over more corners of everyday life, and technology can now create images in seconds.

But in one corner of CR Park, 32-year-old Mandal is still working the old-fashioned way -- with his hands, a lump of clay and an eye trained to get the proportions of Goddess Durga just right.

"AI can make many things today, but can it make this?" he asks, looking at the idol taking shape in front of him. For Mandal, the answer is in the details -- the face of Durga, the posture of Mahishasura, the expressions, the proportions and the patience required to bring an idol to life.

The question is particularly relevant her...