A lane full of huge idols wrapped in polythene sheets ready to be painted, several tents full of colourful big and small idols to be sold, painters using spraying machines to fill vibrant colours on small mud idols and children curiously looking at which one to chose from, a sight of all this and we know that Ganesh Chaturthi is on its way.

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaki Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is celebrated as the birthday of the elephant god. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada starting on the fourth day of the waxing moon period. Typically, the day usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananth Chaturdashi.

The potters

As I walk past the huge white Plaster of Paris idols on either side into a small lane in Pottery Town, near Chinnapa Garden (Bangalore East), leading to a less lighted small room we see Sarvana and Komadi, a middle-aged couple, busy putting moist soil into moulds. They have been doing this work since generations. The small 10*10 feet room is lined with several similar small sized Ganesha idols on the side and in between is a heap of soil.

Komadi working on mud idols in Pottery Town. Pic: Supriya Khandekar.

As Sarvana takes out bits of soil from the heap to arrange in the mould he says that it took him almost five months to complete 1000 small size idols. Sarvana makes only small size 2*1 inch idols from mud; he does not use Plaster of Paris. Wholesalers from all over the city buy idols from Sarvana. He has priced his unpainted idols at Rs.50 and once painted he would sell them at Rs.100 each.

Sarvana who sits in that room throughout the day with his wife and elder brother, says that it takes him not more than 20 minutes to make one idol and then all the idols are kept to dry. Sitting in between the idols, Sarvana says, “The market for Ganesha idols is not a predictable one. Sometimes all the idols are sold in two days and sometimes none over weeks.”

Allah Baksh, in his early forties, an electrician by profession works at the wholesale market at Pottery Town during the festive season. “I am working here for more than 30 years now,” he says. Baksh proudly shows the variety of idols on display inside the tent where he has done electric work and takes care of the place throughout the day. He explains the entire journey from the soil transportation to the final touches of the idols. He describes how Chikni Mitti (smooth soil) is picked up from lakesides and transported to the Kumbhars (the artisans who make pottery). “It costs Rs.2000 for each bullock cart full of soil and the artisans specially come from Kolhapur (in Maharashtra) and Tamil Nadu,” he adds.

As we walk around the tent admiring the colourful idols, Baksh points out to the biggest idol in his tent, a seven feet tall Ganesha and says, “This one costs Rs.15,000.”  The cost of a small idol starts from Rs.125. Each festive season he sells around 25 to 30 big idols, the number he says sometimes even reaches 50. “But this year it seems to be slow, not many people have come up and booked the idols,” he says. For small idols the selling time is usually starts a few days before the festival.

Celebrations

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated throughout the country. “Historically, the people of Bangalore have always celebrated the Gauri festival, which falls one day prior to Ganesh Chaturthi. The trend for celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi - colourfully decorated pandals, cultural programmes and more - is a very recent one in Bengaluru. It emerged during the last 30 years and has since become popular”, says Dr A Sundaram, city-based historian and expert who has studied the origin and evolution of Ganesha.

Ganesha idols at Madiwala Market. Pic: Meera K.

Praying and celebrating the festival was mostly concentrated to Western India (Maharashtra, Konkan, Karnataka and some parts of Kerala too), says Dr S K Aruni, Assistant Director, Indian Council of Historical Research, Bangalore. “This celebration is said to be first started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and he used this public forum to propagate his ideas. Slowly, this festival gained a lot of popularity and it was celebrated throughout the country and not just Western India”, says Aruni.

In Bengaluru, several pandals are erected by different localities and communities groups. People go door-to-door collecting funds for pandals, shops sell decorative items, lanes get colourful decorations and lightings and children enthusiastically do their bit for decorations.

“It is also a way by which people come together,” says Pushpa Rao, a housewife in her late 40s, and resident of N S Palya, near Mico Layout in BTM Layout II Stage in south Bangalore. Pushpa has been living in this area for more than seven years and is witness to the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in her area. People of N S Palya organise this festival at a devasthana (a temple area) by erecting a big Ganesha idol and arranging cultural programmes for two – three days. “This is the only time when I see everybody coming here and enjoying with so much energy. Otherwise nobody has time for anyone,” she adds.

The practice of community celebration is also seen at the popular vegetable market in Jayanagar 4th block. All the vegetable vendors organise a big Ganesh idol and some cultural programmes for two days.  Muniraju D, a vegetable vendor at the market says, “An idol is erected next to the shopping complex and we collect funds from all the shops around for the idol. We all decorate the pandal ourselves and we all enjoy doing this.” He further adds that they used to make theme based decorations earlier but now they hardly get time.

Supriya Khandekar is a staff journalist at Citizen Matters.

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