By Yogish D Kumbhasi
Team Mangalorean Kundapur

Kundapur: The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, eagerly awaited by the Hindu community, is around the corner. One could see idols of Ganesh being crafted. Different types of clay models of Lord Ganesha have already been crafted and they are in the final finishing stages.
 
Team Mangalorean going around the city, met a few prominent persons involved in the making of these idols. Vasanth Gadiyara  who makes clay modeled Ganesh has been in that profession since 28 years.  Hailing  from Kundapur  he  is in the forefront  throughout the District in this business of idol making during Ganesha Chaturthi. He had taken up this trade since he was 17 years old. At his workshop near Karnataka Bank in Kundapura every year he sells more than 80 idols of Lord Ganesha on this occasion, catering to the high demands of the public.
 

Vasanth is also a sculpture, who sculpts both stone and wood. After Chaturthi feast, he keeps himself busy in this sculpture hobby .He has 4 workers with him presently for the job. Vasanth gets to his job after he visits Ane Gudde temple. Those customers who come on Nagara Panchami, they come with coconut, rice as gifts; they give the Ganapathi Peeta to Gudigar and place the demand for the idol of Ganesha.  He fashions the idol as per the taste of the customer, and their requirements.  It is believed that he raises the height every year by one inch.
 
Some decades before Vasanth used to bring clay from the fields and make idols with great difficulty. Now it is difficult finding clay around, and that oil painting being banned, water coloured Ganesh idol is being made and this has enhanced the cost of production of the idol.
 
Beginning with 12 inches, the idol could reach 5 feet high, depending upon the liking of the customer. Sometimes there would be demand to design Ganesha in several designs, but the paucity of time frustrates the attempt, he says.

Certain idols are made sufficiently in advance; it is colored and kept before one week. Speaking with mangalorean.com correspondent, Vasanth Gudiyar said that “Now-a-days since the clay and water colors are expensive, this has hiked the cost of the production of  idols. But still I am in  this profession by the Grace of God".