Making multiple versions of elephant-headed God

Visakhapatnam: The big-sized tummy is neatly rolled sans any lump and placed carefully on a small plank.

Another small portion of the freshly-kneaded dough is mounted on top of it only to shape it further into an elephant head. It is followed by a huge pair of ears, arms that hold a 'laddoo' or a 'modak' along with dhoti-clad legs. The task nears completion with Lord Ganesh's celestial carrier 'Mooshik' clinging on to one of His legs.

For a change, the idol of Lord Ganesh is getting readied with dough and turmeric as many evince keen interest in practising varied versions of the big-bellied God, incorporating eco-friendly material. With the State government making it clear to confine Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to home in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, denizens prefer to keep it simple, switching to eco-friendly idols, bidding adieu to Plaster-of-Paris idols.

While many intend to bring home a clay-crafted Ganesh that comes in various forms, making a dough-based idol is also gaining popularity, especially among children. "It is easy to train, help children understand the importance of saving the environment and encourage them to worship paintless idols," says S Jyotsna, mother of a nine-year-old boy.

Some of the mothers find the dough-based idols handy in other ways too. "The pandemic has redefined our festival celebrations. Given the restrictions this year, we decided to keep the turmeric-based idol for the puja so that idol-immersion ritual will be a hassle-free affair," explains P Vijaya Nirmala, a resident of MVP Colony. A bunch of videos on crafting Ganesh idol using a mix of all-purpose flour, turmeric, a small portion of powdered-sugar and water is doing the rounds on social media. Celebrating the festival in their own way, the trainees at Prajwal Vani Welfare Society, an NGO, that provides free technical education and vocational training in various crafts to the differently-abled persons, have learnt the art of making easily soluble turmeric based idols seeking the assistance of their mentors and parents.

Ahead of the festivities, good Samaritans in the city came forward to give away clay-based Ganesh idols to the locals in different colonies across the city. They include representatives of Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, Rotary Club Visakha Port City and Vizag Journalists Forum.