Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, is one of the most adored deities for Hindusim, also known as Ganpati or Vinayaka. Lord Ganesha is the God of wisdom, prosperity, good fortune, and the destroyer of evils, and he is worshipped in most households without divisions or caste, wealth, or creed coming in the way. Due to all these qualities, he is also known as Vighnaharta. And the day of Ganesh Chaturthi is called Vinayaka Chaturthi. The festival honoring Ganesha is the Ganesh Chaturthi that can go up to 10 days. It is celebrated fervently in most parts of India due to its popularity as a God for all humans. For Maharashtra, it is one of the main festivals.
Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated by installing idols of Lord Ganesha in households, temples, town squares, or pandals and worshipped for ten days. At the end of 10 days, the idols are immersed in water to denote the rebirth of God. These idols are coming in all sizes and shapes according to the accommodating ability of the worshippers. They are made from clay and Plaster of Paris (PoP). Still, the idol makers get less recognition for crafting these beautiful idols. They work all year-round to make these idols and supply them to metro cities. During this project, I was exposed to the various processes involved in making these idols, the lives of the workers, and the beauty of the whole process.
