Customised Ganesh idols trending among devotees | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Artists making idols of Lord Ganesh are deftly moving their hands as Ganesh Chaturthi (Aug 26) draws near. The idols are based on different forms of the deity such as Neelkanth Bappa, Lal Raja, Murshak par Bappa, and Ganesh with six heads. Para-based artist Ashish Pal has been making idols for the past two decades. “I learnt idol making from my father. This year, I have got many orders for customised idols where devotees have given photographs and want the exact replicas,” he said. “The idol that will stand out this time is the 12-foot tall Neelkanth Ganesh, which has been painted with blue colour. It took me 7 months to ready it and it costs around Rs 1.33 lakh,” he added. Artist Namita Pal has a workshop in Rabindrapalli. “I have made the 7-foot tall Lal Raja idol in four months. I had engaged workers from Kolkata. The clothes of the deity were also made in Kolkata,” said Namita. Dheeraj Sahu, working out from Transport Nagar, has made several idols including pocket size and Lord Ganesh with six heads. The tallest idol — Murshak par Bappa — is 9-foot tall, made with wood, bamboo, cotton, mud, straw and rubber. It would cost Rs 90,000. Sahe readied the idol in five months.“The demand for idols has surged this year, with more devotees seeking customised idols,” he added. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with fanfare to honour the birth of Lord Ganesh, also popular as Vighnharta (the remover of obstacles) and Bappa.
