Kolkata artists giving final touches to 24 ft clay Ganesh idol

Malkajgiri: A huge 24-foot high clay Ganesh idol is getting ready at Gautham Nagar of Malkajgiri constituency. The idol is being prepared by a team from Kolkata led by Sanjay for Talent Youth Association of Gautham Nagar. Clay brought from Holy Ganges river is being used for preparing the idol. At present, final touches are being given to the idol which is made in the form of Laskhmi Ganapathi.

Talent Youth Association has been celebrating the festival since 1989 but the association has been using environment-friendly clay Ganesh idols for the past few years with the assistance from the head of Meghna Constructions Mallikarjuna Rao. Three different types of clay, which includes multani clay and clay of Holy Ganges brought from Kolkata and natural colours are being used in the preparation of the idol. Unlike other Ganesh idols, the idol will be immersed at the same place where it is installed after completion of navarathri. Apart from three tractor loads of clay, a tractor load of straw, coconut fibre and cotton clothes are being used for the preparation of the idol, the organisers said.

Speaking to the media, a member of the association, Mohan Raj said that they have been distributing clay Ganesh idols and saplings freely to people for the last four years to raise awareness on the need for preserving environment. Earlier, Pollution Control Board used to encourage the use of environment-friendly Ganesh idols by providing incentives to Ganesh pandals, but it has been discontinued for the last two years, he said. He requested the State government to take measures to provide incentives to promote the use of environment-friendly idols. He thanked Mallikarjun Rao for supporting the association in its efforts to protect environment.