Walking around the maze of workshops, aimlessly and amazed, full of the white washed form of the Lord Ganesh, you just cannot help but get excited for the upcoming festival, Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh Chaturthi is a huge festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesh, the elephant headed God of wisdom and new beginnings.
Statues of Lord Ganesh are brought into homes across India and once the festival is over, these divine works of art are immersed into a lake or an ocean. The clay so cleverly crafted returns to the waterbed, destined to be dug up again next year to be molded once more with skill and love.
We walked around the workshops for over an hour, spoke to some of the craftsmen and saw a couple of unusual Ganesh statues. Ganesh in all of his possible shapes, poses and sizes sat everywhere, sometimes with three heads, sometimes with six arms, sometimes riding huge rats (the rat is the vehicle of Lord Ganesh, you can usually spot him in most pictures of Lord Ganesh). Some statues were so tiny, they could fit in the palm of your hand and others were several storeys high. There is a breathtaking atmosphere, with the smell of incense and artistic talent in the air.
Small shops next to the workshops have smaller Lord Ganesh statues, suitable to be taken into homes, already painted. Many of them already reserved, as they can not be taken into homes until the festival begins next week.
I hope you love these photographs as much as I do, aren’t they beautiful? I can’t wait to visit the workshops again just before the festival begins, when the clay in the workshops come to life, painted with bright colours and embellished with jewels.
Dear Lauren, Thanks for the colorful tour and background~ love, Ellen
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Thank you so much, Ellen!!! ❤ lots of love xxx
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Amazing photos! I’ve never seen them in-progress before. I have heard there is a movement to using more natural colors too so that the waters don’t get polluted.
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Thanks, Andrea!
You really must try to see it, it’s fantastic! And yes, I have started writing a post about the Ganesh we are bringing into our home and how eco-friendliness is really important! Many people wash, eat the fish etc. in those waters so it is really important.
I hope you are well ❤
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Beautiful description of what you witnessed and as always, it’s so wonderful to see such devotion and creativity in motion. Ganeshji also has a special place in my heart. ♥
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Thank you so much, Crystal!
I cannot wait to see them all finished and ready to go! xxx
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I’ve really enjoyed your posts this week, Lauren! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous, and you make India’s culture really come alive. I’ve learned so much about holidays that I only had vaguely heard of before. I hope your husband comes home soon, but it is good to see how you are keeping busy, especially with the volunteer opportunity. That is kind of you, and as a teacher, it is something I would love to do. Take care, Susan
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Thank you so much, Susan! What lovely words, thank you so much!
My husband came home yesterday (thank God), it’s so lovely to have him back.
I hope that you can find the opportunity to volunteer soon, teachers are so valuable!!
Take care, lots of love
Lauren xxx
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[…] in the nearby lake before welcoming Lord Ganesh (the son of Lord Shiva and Gauri) into our home (Ganesh Chathurthi starts […]
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[…] our home. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most spectacular festivals on the Hindu calendar, many weeks of preparation have led up to this event, craftsmen and artists have been busy building idols of this round […]
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[…] are the same workshops where I saw the Lord Ganesh idols being made for Ganesh Chathurthi. Those amazing elephant headed idols have returned to clay at the bottom of […]
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