Uncovering Pen’s Ganesh idol making tradition

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh who is revered as the God of fortune, wisdom and the remover of obstacles. This vibrant festival assumed the nature of a public celebration first during the reign of the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (1630-1680) as he knew it would unite and encourage the people against the Mughals. In 1893, when the British banned political assemblies, freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak revived the tradition on a much larger scale as he too wanted to unite the people during the Indian independence movement. The public gatherings in the Ganesh pandals helped create a platform to mobilise support against the British rule.

Curious to understand how the idols for these pandals are made, I travelled to the village of Pen, located an hour and half from Mumbai in Maharashtra. Known as an artisan’s hub, Pen has over 350 workshops that collectively make around 2.5 lakh Ganesh idols every season. These idols are not only transported to many major cities in India but are also exported abroad. 

Shrikant Deodhar, 72, is a skilled fourth generation sculptor, president of the Ganesh Mandal in Pen, and my guide on this tour. His great-grandfather originally from Vijaydurg in Maharashtra arrived in Pen in 1860 in search of work. He was a naturally gifted sculptor and he, along with other master craftsmen like Gaikwad and Bhide, laid the foundation of Pen’s idol making tradition. Deodhar’s grandfather travelled to Bombay during the British era where he learnt the technique of mould-making. This technique allowed him to expand his workshop to produce multiple idols more efficiently. Due to Pen’s proximity to the large markets of Mumbai and Pune, idol making in the village took off commercially by 1950.

The Way We Make Our Idols

Deodhar takes me to visit three workshops in Pen—Trimurti Kala Kendra, Harshada Kala Kendra and Patil Kala Kendra. As the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi draws near, the workshops are bustling with activity. It was indeed enlightening to see the detailed craft that goes into the making of these revered idols as he walks me through the intricate process of idol making. The clay powder also known as shadu mati is sourced from Bhavnagar, Gujarat. A master artist begins by sculpting the original idol, which is considered a prototype. From this, moulds for different parts of the idol are created (face, hand, feet, etc) to produce multiple replicas as per the demand. While idol-making happens year-round, most of the work is completed by June to ensure the idols are dry before the heavy Konkan monsoon begins. Some of the workshops start getting orders six to eight months in advance.

Once assembled, the idol is left on shelves to dry. It is then polished; a coat of white primer follows before the painting starts. This base layer creates a smooth surface for painting and also helps to hold the colours better. Now, the piece is ready to be painted. 

The painting begins with the skin tone, which also varies according to various idol styles. This is followed by the detailed painting work on clothing and jewellery. Finally, the most delicate part of the process begins—painting of the eyes. 

As people’s tastes change and to keep up with the demand, artisans have started adding real fabric garments like dhotar (loincloths) and phetas (turbans) along with jewellery and accessories as it adds a touch of grandeur.