Kerala's Kathakali Art Inspires Unique Ganesha Idol At Bandra Pandal

Mumbai: A Ganesha idol inspired by Kerala’s traditional Kathakali dance form at a Bandra East home has become a talking point among devotees and on social media, combining the elephant-headed deity with the elaborate costume and distinctive visual style of the classical dance-drama.

Kathakali-inspired Ganesha idol

Photographer and Ganesha idol workshop owner Deepak Babaria has been bringing Ganesha home for the past 17 years. The idea for this year’s unusual idol came to him while watching a Ganesha immersion last year, when he spotted an idol with a Kathakali image in the background.

Babaria decided to take the concept a step further by making Kathakali an integral part of the idol rather than merely using it as a backdrop.

He shared his idea with sketch artist Harish Shrestha, who prepared a design based on Babaria’s imagination. Sculptor Prashant Bagdi then gave the concept shape, creating an idol depicting a Kathakali performer in full ritual costume balancing a tiny Ganesha.

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Eco-friendly festive creation

The tableau is around two feet tall, while the Ganesha figure itself is only about two inches in height. The idol has been made using clay and paint that dissolve in water, with the family ensuring that the materials do not leave pollutants that could harm aquatic life.

The five-day Ganesh festival at the Babaria residence will conclude on Friday, when the idol will be immersed at an artificial immersion pond in the neighbourhood.

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