On the eve of the 11-day Hindu festival, starting on 31 August, here's a look at the preparations taking place this year.
The 11-day long Hindu festival starts on 31 August this year. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
Preparations are in full swing for one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals, Vinayaka Chavithi (also known as Ganesha Chaturthi), to mark the birth of Lord Ganesha.
Devotees place Lord Ganesha idols in their homes and worship them before visarjan (immersion of the idol) at the end of the 11-day festival that is celebrated so people may pray for prosperity, positivity, and elation.
In Hyderabad, Ganesha idol-makers started preparing the idols as long as three-four months ago. The Ganesha idols can now be seen lined up at various places in the city, ready to be taken home.
Artisans working in Dhoolpet. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
Some common hubs are bustling Dhoolpet and Begum Bazar in the old Hyderabad area, where hundreds of Ganesha idols are a common sight during the festive season.
In Bengaluru, the areas of Chamarajapet, Chickpet, and KR Market are some prominent ones, while Koyembedu is the destination in Chennai.
“These idols measure as small as six inches and go as high as 20 feet. The price also varies as per the size. We sell five-foot Ganesha idols for around ₹10,000-12,000, whereas 10-foot idols are sold for ₹16,000-17,000,” said Nandkishore, owner of the workshop in Dhoolpet, all the while negotiating with a customer on the side.
The 50-foot Ganesha idol in Khairatabad in Hyderabad has been made completely of clay, and is the tallest in the city. (Supplied)
The 50-foot Ganesha idol in Khairatabad in Hyderabad has been made completely of clay, and is the tallest in the city.
The idol, made of organic clay and colours, apparently cost ₹1 crore, and is said to be the most expensive in Telangana
Devotees who throng every year in large numbers at one of the famous puja pandals (marquees) in the city also have the option to digitally attend prayers here.
This comes after the organising committee joined hands with a Hyderabad-based startup Deva Seva, which provides a worldwide platform for attending offerings digitally.
A Ganesha idol. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
The festival is also a time when kids get involved in the puja.
For youngsters, the festival means going around the locality, collecting money for the puja and dancing in the evening.
“We have been collecting money for the puja for the last 15 days. We give this money to the committee, which then buys the idol and spends the rest on lighting and sound systems,” said 11-year-old Atharv Raj from Gachibowli.
“The more we collect, the more beautiful our pandals look with lights. More money also means better speakers. There will be good speakers with loud bass, to which we will dance every evening during the celebration,” he added.
An idol made from POP. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
Most of the Ganesha idols in Dhoolpet, traditionally, are made of Plaster of Paris (PoP).
“The frame of an idol is prepared with bamboo sticks, and then coconut fibre is applied to make the Ganesha idol. This is a process of two to three days,” Nandkishore’s son Sahil Singh explained.
“After the idol dries up, the spraying and painting begin. Painting is of two types — colouring the whole idol and then giving a finishing touch,” he said.
Sahil then pointed to two different idols at different stages of preparation.
Just like Nandkishore and his family, artisans at most of the workshops are related, making the profession a family affair.
Asked about the authorities promoting eco-friendly clay idols instead of polluting PoP idols, he said, “The idols from clay are not durable. If the immersion of PoP idols pollutes natural water bodies, the government can probably provide an alternate place where people can go and immerse them.”
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