August 2022
As part of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Art faculty members Sunil Lohar, a painter and Shajil Padiyoor, a sculptor from Human Sciences Research Group (HSRG) conducted a two-day workshop on eco-friendly Ganesh idol making & painting for IIIT Hyderabad family and friends on 27 – 28 August at Nilgiri. All materials needed for Ganesha idol making and painting on canvas were provided to participants at a nominal cost. The aim of this workshop was to enjoy the cultural diversity along with Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
As Sunil says, among many Hindu gods and goddesses, Lord Ganesha’s icon is one of the most experimented forms. One can see the representations of the icon Ganesha in both classical and modern styles. In this workshop the participants were encouraged to think about Lord Ganesha in creative ways, which helped them understand the different perceptions of Lord Ganesha.
The other faculty member Shajil goes on to say, “we helped the participants to bring their imagination on clay and canvas”. Shajil gave step-by-step instructions for making sculptures of Lord Ganesha in clay. Nine seeds were placed inside the Ganesha sculpture, and when the idols are immersed in water after the pooja, these seeds will be absorbed into nature and grow into new plants so that we can bring joy to nature.
At the end of the workshop, the results (artworks) were unusual, thoughtful, and interesting. For example, Nancy depicted Ganesha playing chess as she herself is a chess player. Similarly, Arya represented an athlete Ganesha, and Zeel represented the concept of Ganesh in the most symbolic way. The participants were of different age groups, like the oldest were Raja Rajeswari and Alpana Agarwal. The children – Nirvan, Neha, Miku and Bodhi also created very interesting and colourful Ganesha’s. After the workshop, everyone went home with his Ganesh sculptures and paintings on canvas for Ganesh Chaturthi’s celebration.
Sunil and Shajil conclude by saying, “one can buy the ready-made Ganesh from the shops, but the joy of making the idols gives immense satisfaction. We would like to express our gratitude to the IIITH authorities and participants who have cooperated in conducting this workshop”.