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Every year when the first wave of monsoon rains end, it is
time for potters to collect clay from nearby ponds
to sculpt idols of Ganapathi. As Ganesh Chaturthi draws closer,
pandals appear on street corners to display Ganapathi, the
Lord of Prosperity in all his splendour.
Huge 10 to 14 ft Ganesha idols are on display for sale on
R V Road in Vanivilas Puram. One wonders how these idols are
sculpted on such a mass scale. The real action lies in the
by lanes where master moulders work on the making of
these coveted idols. Perumal, a skilled idol maker,
puts the finishing touches to a 14 ft.Ganesha
with his spray gun. This huge Ganesha is not made of the normal
clay mould. Due to the enormous size, separate body parts
have been cast in plaster of paris and then these parts
are pasted together. Each such Ganesha consists of nearly
18 separate pieces with a hard paperboard base.
 Though
Perumal makes different kinds of Ganeshas to cater to the tastes
of clients, the bulk of his creation consists of the elephant
god in traditional attire and posture. The
Padma Ganesha is the one sitting inside a large pink lotus;
Shanka Ganesha is seen poised over a conch shell; Siddhi Buddhi
Ganesha is the one with the consorts; Ele Ganesha is seated
inside a huge leaf; and the Shiva Parvathi Ganesha reclines
with his parents.
 Perumal
comes from as far as Viluppuram in Tamil Nadu. His family
has been doing this work as a traditional vocation for
generations, but since the independence, this business has been
thriving. He sells all his work to Muninanjappa who owns the
Vinayaka Clay Works on R V Road. If you wish to buy one
of these huge Ganeshas, you have to pay at least 50% of its
price (around Rs 3500) three months in advance. Every year sale
of Ganesha idols is increasing.. Last year inspite
of business being slow because of
Dr Raj Kumar's incident, Muninanjappa, another skilled
idol maker sold more than 55,000 idols last year and
is optimistic of selling more this year. Being in this business
for more than 50 years, he nonchalantly says there never has
been a time when they have suffered loss. Looks like he has
the blessings of the Lord of Prosperity.
The idols of the north
 The
idols made in the bylanes of Vasanthnagar are of a different
sort. The style of execution and the posture of Ganesha look
similar to Durga idols. Surprisingly, it turned out
that Tanmoy Dey came all the way from Bengal for
this festive season. Unlike the South Indian idols, he uses
the traditional straw and hay framework for his clay finishing.
To begin with, clay is thoroughly cleaned of debris and then
mixed with paddy husk for strength. This mixture is
pasted onto a hay and wooden framework which acts as
a skeleton. After the finishing touches of paint and varnish,
it is given to the wholesale trader. After the Ganesha festival,
Tanmoy Dey leaves for his native Bengal to get ready for the
Dasara festivities.
The varieties of Ganeshas available in the market is stupendous.
Ganesha riding on a dragon, peacock, lion, eagle, and the like.
Politician Ganesha, Bridegroom Ganesha, Baala Ganesha and this
year's special is the Vajpayee Ganesha and Gandhi Ganesha.
You name it, they have it.
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7:49:29 AM 
