It was 11 years ago that Santacruz-based artist and sculptor Rintu Rathod’s innovation—the chocolate Ganesha—took Mumbai by storm and brought the concept of edible idols to Mumbaikars. Every year since then, it has become a ritual for her to create a new and creative form of Bappa’s idol during Ganeshotsav. Last year, Rathod’s creation was a kheer Ganpati. This year, it’s ‘Tridev Ganpati,’ which comprises three idols atop Mt. Kailash.

“This year Bappa has come to our place as Tridev, in the form of all my three inventions i.e. chocolate Ganpati, kheer Ganpati — made with rice, milk powder, sugar, dry fruits, and spices like cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron; and my latest innovation, the haridra/haldi milk Ganpati — made with turmeric, milk powder, misri (rock sugar) and immunity booster spices, which when immersed in milk, turn into haldi milk prasad. All three are sitting on the chocolate and caramel Kailash mountain, watching over the world,” said Rathod, speaking to mid-day. The whole creation weighs 80 kg and is 2ft x 3ft. It took Rathod 48 hours to create it.