This house in Lonavla is a treasure trove of Ganesha murtis

The first impression that takes over as we step into the hall of the Goels residence in Lonavla is awe Aptly named Ram Kripa the house was painstakingly built almost brickbybrick by Rajkumar Goel whose many talents can be sheltered under the broad term of artist But what strikes the eye first are the Ganeshas peeking out of every nook and crannymdashsome small enough to disappear inside your palm others more selfassertive with their presenceldquoItrsquos unbelievable how everything in this house has been built from scratchrdquo we compliment the Goels to which Rajkumar replies with a look of humility ldquoI canrsquot believe it eitherrdquoRajkumar Goel dabbles in many arts woodwork handicrafts and metal work and poetry to name a few He is also a specialist in making Ganesha idols like this glass murthiThe lower level of the red laterite Goel residence was completed in 1983 initially for Rajkumarrsquos parents who loved the hill station The materials came from everywheremdashthe trees from then Victoria Gardenrsquos now Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo nursery the laterite stonemdashwhich reminds Rajkumar ldquoof MF Husain somehowrdquomdashfrom Ratnagiri sleeper wood for the doorframes came from a railway yard in VakolaLocated opposite Lonavla lake the house is not just a treasuretrove of handcrafted furniture and quirky clocks but also a veritable museum of Ganesha murtis all created by the couple and a testament to the role the elephant god has played in their lives ldquoItrsquos like I am looking at myself when I look at Ganeshardquo Rajkumar says ldquoHe is so flexible so mischievous Ganesha and I wersquove been growing on each otherhelliphe feeds on me and I thrive off him My inspiration comes solely from Ganesha he has given me the push to become what I amrdquoThe Goelrsquos Lonavala residence has a small store that resembles the original one they set up in Mumbai in the 1990sSaroj the second half of the artistic team feels Ekdanta is inspiring because ldquothere is art in himrdquo The ability to make whatever you can out of himmdasha laughing Ganesha a sleeping Ganesha a playful or a serious Ganesha Ask which idol is their favourite and they canrsquot choosemdashall are special in some form or another Each of them is inscribed with ldquoMai hu nardquo a testament to his belief that the god will take care of everythingPopcorn Ganpati is so tiny the idol balances on the tip of the index finger Then there are large creamcoloured resin murtis the first ones the couple manufactured The most recent creation a metal Mangalmurti swinging on a seat is carved by Rajkumar out of the hathodi variety of bamboo found at R10 rupeesapiece at hardware stores Pratham Ideas a gifting and artefacts store was established by the couple in Sion in 1994 Saroj helmed it packing nameplates murtis and other items for customers It was around the same time that Goel pioneered the dashboard Ganpati omnipresent in almost every Indian vehicle today Therersquos a story behind this as well The now 70yearold was at an exhibition held at the World Trade Centre in Cuffe Parade and saw a collection of oneinch paperandwood Ganeshas on display Their colorful nature intrigued him hersquos always been the one to bring home curiosities and artistic pieces from the places he visitsAmong the Goelrsquos collection of Ganeshas are oneinch popcorn Ganeshas which are made out of fibre PicsAnurag AhireRajkumar visited the exhibition for four days straight bringing back 10 mini Ganeshas each time at R8 a piece Finally he convinced the manufacturer to sell him the remaining 5000 pieces for R5 each Once he had them at home though carefully tucked in a box under the bed the problem of what to do with them became paramount Thatrsquos when he decided to mount them on a piece of marble or wood to make them stable and had customised test tubes made to cover each idol thus gifting the dashboard Ganesha to the countryldquoA close friend once told me that once upon a time there was a crooked man who had a crooked look and who had a crooked bend in his thought processrdquo he reminisces with a smile ldquoI always look for discarded materials and objects knowing that it is going to become gold one dayrdquoRajkumar Goel with wife Saroj Goel and son PrathamThis journey of transforming materials and bringing them to life and ldquoan impetus to be differentrdquo shapes the course of Rajkumarrsquos existenceIn the lower portion of the house fronting the steps that lead up to the treehouse terrace is the couplersquos workshop amidst towering trees that Rajkumar planted as sixinch saplings 40 years ago Here we get to see a plethora of wooden handicrafts spun out of the creative recesses of his mind The ldquoanticlockrdquo that ticks backwards symbolizing time is whatever you choose to make of it a barrel converted into a liquor chest and a motorcycle made entirely out of wood Multiple wooden clocks hang on one wall as in the main housemdashthe Goel family has been into clockmaking since the 1940sRajkumar approaches his creations not as an artist working a medium but as a child learning from a master ldquoThe mediums tell me what to make of themrdquo he says ldquoI keep playing with teakwood bamboo waste wood driftwood stone metalshellip Somebody once gave me a compliment lsquoYou have a very big child within yoursquo Itrsquos that child who encourages me to do some mischief I am a little child very inquisitively asking the medium lsquoWhat shall I do with yoursquo You canrsquot tell the branch of a tree lsquoI want to chisel you into a polersquo The branch already has a natural bend You have to respect that bend and compliment itrdquoEven at age nine Rajkumarrsquos flair for creating expressed itself in bits of candy and ice cream sticks picked up on Juhu beach He would create small boxes out of them which he laughingly tells us he would gift childhood girlfriendsApart from tinkering with odds and ends around their sprawling home the artist has also been instrumental in gathering creative and intellectual personalities of the hill station to his bosom ldquoThere are so many likeminded artistes heremdashsingers poets artists who Irsquom always on the lookout forrdquo he says and Saroj adds ldquoCurrently hersquos on a bamboo experimenting spree having been tasked with the restoration of a friendrsquos house whom he convinced not to spend his days in an old age homerdquo ldquoThere is nothing like old age only a gold agerdquo he quipsAs we leave the red letters on the stone board flanking the entrance follow us ldquoMai aaj iss pal ko sarvasvas apna deta hurdquo Much like the materials the couple comes across they are eager to fabricate something unique out of every moment As Rajkumar wrote in one of his poems ldquoI play with ideas that scrap firewood rock pieces discards etc radiate and meditate with them to reform them into odds and uniques reciting poetry and celebrate The journey makes me younger and it is never endingrdquo