India is gearing up for the extravagant celebrations of the 10-day festival, Ganesh Chaturthi. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi and the festivities will commence from September 7. Generally, people install clay idols of Lord Ganesha in their homes and believe that Bappa will bless them in abundance and remove all obstacles from their lives. People deck up their homes with flowers and other pooja-related materials, while in public spaces, huge pandals are set.
Ganesh Chaturthi will conclude on September 17 with the immersion of the idols in a water body. Generally, people get idols of Bappa made of Plaster of Paris (PoP), clay, plastic and others. However, a man from Karnataka has a different approach to this festival.
Jaalimane Venkanna, from Yellapur, is known for his simple yet extraordinary way of celebrating the pompous Ganesha festival. His house boasts of more than 200 idols of Bappa. But these are not made of traditional materials like PoP, clay, paper, or even plastic. Not even paint is used on his idols. Surprising, right? Well, that is because, these idols are made from fallen tree trunks, roots, branches, twigs and stones. He is an art-lover and an ardent devotee of Lord Ganesha, who sees Bappa in everything.
Over the last 40 years, Jaalimane Venkanna has been making a collection of these figurines. The first one he collected was a figurine of Lord Ganesha that was naturally formed on the jackfruit root which he worships annually during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Instead of installing a separate idol, he prefers to perform the rituals on the natural Ganesha formations, which he finds and collects.
Many use PoP, but now, people are once again resorting to clay-made Bappa as they are environment-friendly and do not pollute the water where they are immersed. In the past, people used to use mud which was collected in the monsoon season to craft a figurine out of it. It is believed to be originally a farmer’s celebration which was a tribute to nature. However, in modern times, the celebrations have seen a shift towards grand pandals, DJs, dance, competitions, pomp, rituals and much more. But, a visit to Jaalimane Venkanna’s home in Hithlallai, Yellapur would show the true essence of this festival.
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