Ganpati celebrations in Mumbai are known for grand idols, elaborate decorations and plenty of creativity, but one chef has taken the festive imagination a step further by creating a towering 4-foot Ganpati idol entirely out of chocolate. Weighing around 75 kg, the intricately detailed Bappa is the result of three days of painstaking chocolate sculpting.
Inside chocolate Ganpati crafted entirely by hand
Chef Sankesh created the massive chocolate Ganpati over approximately 36 hours spread across three days. Unlike many large chocolate sculptures that use pre-made moulds to achieve their basic shape, this idol was sculpted manually from chocolate.
The decision to avoid ready-made moulds allowed the chef to work on the idol as a sculpture rather than simply assembling a moulded figure. Its proportions, posture and facial features were gradually developed by hand, with details being added and refined as the idol took shape.
From Bappa’s expressive face and trunk to the crown, ornaments, hands, drapery and the tiny Mushak, each element required individual attention.
The sculpture was created without any non-edible internal framework, meaning the chocolate structure had to support its own 75-kg weight. This turned the process into a balancing act. Weight distribution had to be considered throughout the sculpting process, as adding too much chocolate to one section could place pressure on another part of the idol and potentially cause cracks.
Working with chocolate on such a large scale also meant constantly managing its temperature. Chocolate can soften with heat, including warmth from the hands, while the finished structure still needs enough firmness to hold its shape and intricate details.
Without the limitations of a fixed mould, however, the chef had greater freedom to make changes during the process. Features could be carved, reshaped and rebuilt as the sculpture developed.
This was particularly useful when working on the finer elements of Bappa, including the face, trunk, crown, jewellery, hands and drapery, where proportions needed to be continually adjusted as the overall scale of the idol became clearer.
