Crafting Ganesh, Preserving Heritage: Indore Family Keeps 200-Year-Old Eco-Friendly Idol Tradition Alive
Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi, Indore’s Khargonkar family is preserving a more than 200-year-old tradition of crafting Ganesha idols dating to the Holkar era. Sixth-generation artisan Shyam Khargonkar and his extended family spend months creating each idol using natural yellow clay, keeping the generations-old craft completely eco-friendly.
Crafting Ganesh, Preserving Heritage: Indore Family Keeps 200-Year-Old Eco-Friendly Idol Tradition Alive | FP photo
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, the Khargonkar family of Indore is keeping alive a more than 200-year-old tradition of crafting traditional Ganesha idols dating back to the era of Ahilyabai Holkar.
Sixth-generation artisan and retired bank employee Shyam Khargonkar said the family has served the Holkar royal court for generations, making clay idols that were traditionally installed at Rajwada Palace and other royal locations. Each idol takes nearly four months of painstaking work.
The entire extended family, including daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, contributes to sculpting and painting the idols.
The family uses only natural yellow clay, avoiding plaster of Paris, making the idols fully eco-friendly and suitable for immersion in a household bucket.
The idols are made exclusively on pre-order, with many customers coming from families that have continued their association with the Khargonkar family across generations.
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