Ganesha Idol Making is not just an
Occupation but a Passion in Pen
For most part of the
year, Pen, situated some 80 kms away from Mumbai on the Goa Highway , is
just a sign-board, while heading to the beautiful beaches of Alibaug and beyond. But,
come Shravan,
this non-descript town of Raigad district of Maharashtra, transforms
itself into a bustling trading port,
as Ganeshaidols sporting ‘Made
in Pen’ get ready to be transported to various destinations far and
wide.
The Pen-born pot
bellied Ganesha idols are much coveted because of their
aesthetic appeal – serene expression, poise, grace, subtle shading of
colors and good finish. Mumbai
and Pune are the two biggest markets, but the
idols made in Pen also land in Hyderabad , Delhi , Kolkata and even the United
States and the United Kingdom . Interestingly, none of the ingredients that go into the making of the idols is
available locally and the town does not lay claim to any outstanding tradition
in art.
How it all began?
The Ganesha idol making industry in Pen is over a hundred years
old. In the olden days Ganesha idol
making was rather the hobby of some individuals, who pursued
it not so much for money as for producing rare pieces of art
to be displayed during Ganesh Chaturthi festival. It was when Lokmanya Tilak took the Ganesha Festival
out of private worship into the domain of public festivity in the 1890’s, some
of the Pen’s artisans shifted their skills to making idols for the Ganeshotsav.
It was Bhikaji Krishna Deodhar who pioneered the Ganesha idol industry of Pen. When his
traditional family business of making the medieval Maharashtrian headgear called the pagdi became slack, Bhikaji found
a new occupation in switching to Ganesh idol
making. His great grand-son Srikant Deodhar is
the fourth generation idol maker associated with this cottage industry.
Initially, the artisans
of Pen always prepared Ganesha idols
from clay. The clay available at the local hills was, however,
not of a superior quality. The
ships which used to visit Mumbai for carrying cargo to Gujarat and Sindh, used
to bring back the superior quality clay from Bhavnagar . It was sold at a throw away price
in Mumbai, but in the absence of the road link, it was a herculean task to
transport it to Pen. Hence, it was loaded into small boats and brought to Antora port, one and a half kilo-metre away
from the town.
In 1940s Plaster of
Paris was introduced in preparing toys and images of animals. Initially, the
artisans were reluctant to use the new material. The Prabhat Film Company placed an order at Pen
for a supply of 500 bust size images of Sant Dnyaneshwar for
their mythological film of the same name. The images were produced with the
help of Plaster of Paris moulds which were introduced for the first time in
making images. Subsequently, the Ganeshaimages were also prepared out of Plaster of Paris, but they
were for decorative purposes only and not meant for worship .
The commercialization of
the Ganesha idol industry truly began in the
1970s. The opening up of the Thane creek bridge was an important event which
suddenly improved access to Pen from Mumbai. Gradually,
Plaster of Paris began to replace clay as the preferred raw material,
especially for large idols.
Pen’s flourishing cottage industry
Today, there are more than 550 karkhanas- i.e. cottage industries engaged in preparation of Ganesha idols. Six to seven lakh idols of various sizes are prepared in
Pen and sold across the world. More
than 8,000 artisans are dependent on this industry, which is an occupation as well as passion for
the Penkars. Pen idols
are known for perfect colour combinations and design. They also
stand out due to the unique ornaments and attires on the deity.
When one strolls through
the lanes and by-lanes of Pen, one finds it a beehive of frenetic activity. Karigarsare
busy, some kneading clay, some moulding the
images, others colouring them.
Among the workers are many women. Each unit or factory boasts of its own unique
mould. In a sea of smiling elephant-god faces, the differences are indeed
visible. The quality of craftsmanship varies, as does the line of sculpting.
In a bid to
institutionalize the Pen tradition of Ganesha idol
making, the Pen Municipal Council has launched the Ganesh Idol
Museum and Information Centre
project. It provides information in detail about the art and
process involved in clay and Plaster of Paris idol making.
Towards eco-friendly Ganesha
With increasing awareness to protect our environment, demand for
eco-friendly Ganesha idols is on the rise. A Pune based organization Co-Exist is
spearheading the movement by making available bio-degradable Ganeshaidols,
made of clay and painted with natural colours using
turmeric, multani mitti and geroo.
In olden days, devotees
used to make Ganesha idols from clay procured from their
own homes, and immerse them in their own ponds or tanks, thus symbolizing the
cycle of creation and dissolution in nature. Yet, after the advent of Plaster
of Paris, this became a preferred choice for sculptors, since POP idols are
cheaper, less fragile and easier to transport.
However, since Plaster
of Paris is not a naturally occurring material, it leads to widespread water
pollution when immersed. Apart from taking longer to dissolve in water, it
increases the acid content of the water. Moreover, if the idols are decorated
with chemical paints, the heavy metals contained in the paint seep into the
water. As against this, the natural clay idols dissolve immediately with little
or no pollution.
"Environmentalists
ask us to use eco-friendly colours," says Deodhar, President of Pen Murtikaar Sanghatan. “That is easier said than done, as the
eco-friendly colours are not available in large
supply.” But, since market determines the trend, slowly and
steadily, Ganesh idol makers in Pen are also turning to
clay once again.
The problems and challenges
The Ganesha idol industry in Pen is not free of
problems either. The hike in wages of artisans, increasing load
shedding in rural areas and competition from traders from other centres are some of the challenges faced by
Pen idols makers. Traders from Surat , Ahmedabad and other cities have taken away many
expert artisans and also various moulds used in Pen.
But, for the artisans of
Pen, making idols of the auspicious Ganesha, has ceased to be mere work and assumed the
character of worship. Amidst problems, there is an optimism, that as long as there are Ganeshaworshippers,
Pen will continue to make idols.
For the town that has laboured year round, the 10 day Ganeshotsav provides the much needed break, as the
idols made here are worshipped around the world. After Ananta Chaturdashi the work begins all over again. And so
Pen's Ganesha story continues.
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