HYDERABAD: From Baahubali to Kargil hero, Ganesha idols in the city have been there, done that. And this year, keeping with the trend of cow protectionism across the country, the Ganesha idols bear a political statement in the form of cow companions featured with the deity.
A walk down the lanes of Dhoolpet, the hub of Ganesha idol-makers, makes evident the ‘theme’ of this Ganesh Chaturthi. Several of the deity’s idols are flanked by cows and bulls. What has led to this sudden increase in the number of bovine idols? Idol maker Vir Singh says this follows the simple rule of demand and supply. “There has been a demand for idols of cows and calves this year. So, the market is flooded with them,” he explains.
The question, however, is why have the demands surged. Chairman of the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti Shingari Sudarshan provides an insight. “We have included the idols of as many as three cows this year (with the Khairatabad Ganesha). There is one on the right side of the idol. Then, another two cows can be seen on the top, near the shoulders of Lord Ganesha. This is a conscious effort on our part to promote the message of protecting cows,” Shingari Sudarshan says. He refuses to comment on whether there is a political undertone to this, though he does acknowledge that the deity is the new mascot of cow vigilantes.
Interestingly, it is not only the pooja committees that are making a beeline for Ganeshas flanked by cows. Mini ganesha idols, meant for homes, are also seen sitting atop cows or flanked by bulls. Devotees purchasing these idols feel that their act would add to their good deeds. “As Hindus, we should protect cows as we consider them holy. Promoting it by the way of these idols is indeed a novel deed,” says one such devotee, Rohith, while going through the numerous mini-idols displayed at Dhoolpet.