Chances are high that this year, all the Ganeshas on the table won’t look like the one next door. Some might be crowned with turbans or modaks, while others could have seed-filled eyes or even resemble a techie. With Ganesha Chaturthi on Monday, the elephant god is getting several interpretations, as Bengalureans get their hands muddy at clay idol-making workshops, which are bringing together first-timers, families, children, youngsters and even older participants to create their own Ganeshas.
Entertainment creator and workshop organiser JB Shashank believes creative freedom is central to the experience. Having made clay models since childhood and his own Ganesha for the past few years, he encourages participants to forget about getting the ‘perfect’ idol. “Every Ganesha is a good Ganesha. You can make him without eyes, without jewellery and he will still be beautiful,” he says.
That has resulted in some unusual creations at his workshops, including crowns, turbans, food bowls and even a large fish placed on Ganesha’s head. Most participants are first-timers, ranging from six-year-old children to couples and older participants. “It’s the whole experience – learning something new, meeting people, feeling a sense of togetherness, and developing a personal connection with the idol. A big takeaway is the realisation that they are creative,” he adds.
Prem S, co-founder of Hobby Ghar, which has been conducting the workshops for three years now, says the trend has grown steadily. The workshops are held across corporates, schools, colleges, cafes, studios and apartment complexes. “People feel comfortable in making their own design, and the joy comes from sitting together, creating and eventually worshipping an idol they have made by themselves,” he says. The trend is also finding its way into contemporary themes. Prem also recalls some unconventional Ganesha idols made at Hobby Ghar workshops recently. “There was an idol with junk items and another was holding a laptop,” he says. At the workshops, participants are provided with terracotta clay, tools, a base, reference images and seeds such as tulsi.
For Ashwini Padmanabha of Ashleys.in Art Studio, the appeal goes beyond the finished idol. What prompted her to start one? “I always felt connected to the process of making idols every year and this connection can only be experienced by those who have done it and I wanted more people to experience it as well,” she says. Now strangers often begin exchanging stories about Ganesha while working side by side. She adds, “I feel everyone craves this sort of experience to slow down and to connect to our roots more than ever before.”
That sense of connection is echoed by lifestyle content creator Navya NC, who attended her first clay Ganesha-making workshop this year. “There was something refreshing about working with clay, figuring out the shapes and watching the idol slowly come together. When you create one with your own hands, there is a much deeper personal connection,” she says.
Whereas at Dhatu Organics, a healthy cuisine restaurant and store where the community initiative is entering its sixth year, community engagement organiser Charan M says the tactile experience is a major draw. “There are hardly any places where people can go and do something with clay. For children, Ganesha becomes less distant. It’s something you create, it’s fun and playful,” he says.
While sustainability is part of the appeal, organisers say the bigger draw is the freedom to create and experiment with the idol. The workshops are also changing how some participants approach the festival, from selecting an idol to spending time creating one. For Shashank, that makes the eventual Visarjan more emotional. “When you make something yourself, you develop a strong emotional connection with it. During Visarjan, it almost feels like you’re giving your own baby away,” he says.
* Dhatu’s workshop will be held in Whitefield on Sept 12 from 9am to 11am, with materials and a millet-spl breakfast included. The event is priced at ₹499
* Ashwini Padmana -bha’s workshop is on September 12, from 11am-2pm at Klayworkz Barista, JP Nagar; and on September 13, from 11am to 2pm at KozyBrew Cafe, Electronic City.
* Hobby Ghar’s Ganesha making sessions will be held daily from 11am to 7pm until October 13 at its Basavanagudi and Seshadri-puram branches. The sessions cost ₹299
* For more details on JB Shashank’s workshops, visit @jbshashankk on Instagram