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.