India, Oct. 7 -- With Durga Puja starting on October 17, artisans from across West Bengal have been camping in Delhi-NCR for months, shaping Maa Durga and her entourage for pandals across the city. Behind the final spectacle are painstaking craft, decades-old ties and traditions they are determined to preserve.

For some artisans, ties with Delhi's puja committees go back decades. Manik Pal, who travels from Kolkata's Krishnanagar to the Capital every year during pujo. "Hum 40 saal se iss business mein hain. Iss baar humne sabse badi murti, 23 feet ki, Gurugram Sector 15 mein banayi hai jo hum 3-4 mahinon se bana rahe hain," shares Manik. "We showcase the tallest Durga Maa idol almost every year. For that, we only trust Manik Ji's craft,"...