Crafting Ganesha

This ganesha chaturthi, make your own ganesha idol at the Potters festival organised by the Young environmentalists Programme. take home eco-friendly Ganesha idols from clay obtained from the Mithi River and the Powai lake

Crafting Ganesha

With an aim to discourage the use of Plaster of Paris (POP) idols and bring to light the pollution caused during the Ganesha Chaturthi festival, the Young Environmentalists Programme Trust has brought together many potters to teach people how to be creative with mud and clay. They have organised a one-day workshop where Elsie Gabriel, founder of Young Environmentalists Trust along with 11 potters will teach people to make eco-friendly Ganesha idols using mud and clay from the Mithi River and Powai Lake.

Potter Khushboo Pandit with a Ganesha

"The Potters Festival is an attempt to bring back the focus to basic pottery," says Gabriel. "Ancient India was a very eco-friendly nation. People ate on banana leaves, used earthen pots for storing water. We are giving people an opportunity to interact with potters to understand that so much can be done with mud and clay. We have to stop aping the West and go back to our roots," adds Gabriel emphatically.

With an emphasis on the environment, participants of the workshop will not only make the idols with eco-friendly material but also paint it with Haldi, Kumkum, Geru and Multani Mitti. The potters will help them learn the nuances of making an idol. "It is also important to bring the focus on potters, who have, for ages, been working with clay and mud," says Gabriel.

According to Gabriel one need not be an artist to make a Ganesha idol. The sentiment is important and so is the environment. Participants will also be told the ill-effects of using POP, artificial colours and how to make eco-friendly immersions.

At Rodas Hotel, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai.
On July 30, 10.30 am to 2 pm
Call 9967347511

Steps to make an eco-friendly idol

>>u00a0Take the clay or garden mitti and clean it using a sieve to get rid of the small stone particles or grass in it.u00a0

>> Mix the clay and water and knead the clay to make it smooth.

>>u00a0Make two round structures, one for the head and a bigger one for the body.u00a0

>> Make elongated rolls for two legs and two hands. Also make one elongated roll for the trunk.u00a0

>> Place the head on the body and use more clay to make it round and smooth.u00a0

>> Place the other body parts on the main idol. Stick the trunk at the centre of the head and make the legs
the base of he idol. Once you stick the hands flatten out one hand to make the palm.

>>u00a0Make two flattened structures for ears and stick them on to the
main idol.u00a0

>> Now you have a rough figure of Ganesha. If you want to be more creative, you can opt for four hands and other patterns found in Ganesha pictures.

>>u00a0Smoothen the parts using a brush and make the shape clearer.

>>u00a0Do not dry the idol directly under sunlight or it will crack. When the idol is dry, use sandpaper or brush to smoothen the exterior. If there are cracks use glue or putty or more clay to fill them up.

>>u00a0Use a toothpick or pencil to etch out the eyes, fingers, tilak and other features.u00a0

>> Paint your Ganesha with colours from Geru and Multani Mitti, Haldi and Kumkum.