Karnataka - Mangalore   

Traditional Ganesh idols still in vogue

Staff Correspondent

Very few artists have stuck to the hand-made clay models

MANGALORE: Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated almost everywhere in the country and the main attraction of the festival is the colourful idols of the deity.

Over the years Lord Vinayaka has appeared in several forms. The process of making the much-celebrated idol itself has changed: some are mass produced, with the use of a mould.

However, a diminishing band of artists such as H. Damodar Shenoy has stuck to the traditional hand-made clay models of the deity.

Damodar Shenoy (67) in Car Street here has been making hand-made clay idols for the past 47 years. He does not use any mould to produce his idols.

According to Shenoy, he started making idols for Vinayaka Chaturthi at the age of 13 and mastered the art by the time he was 18. Shenoy says he learnt the art on his own without any guidance.

Some years ago he used to produce 42 idols for every Vinakaya Chaturthi day.

But now he provides a limited number of idols for worship for a few households.

He doesn't sell his idols in the market. They are specially made for loyal customers.

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