With the Ganesha festival in sight, everyone is getting ready with the preparations for the festival. Households are getting their supplies ready, people going home are getting their bags ready, those celebrating in their homes are getting ready to receive guests and those not celebrating are getting ready to watch others celebrate. Members of this family in Mangalore, India, however, are making a different kind of last-minute preparations. And that is, preparing the last step of the idol-making process-- painting the eye of Ganesha.
Painting the eye may seem to be a trivial aspect of the process of making an idol, but apparently this step constitutes the all-important aspect of "imparting sight" to the idol. This renders the idol ready for dispatch. However, what really makes the idol ready for worship is the adorning of the ornaments and finally the tying of the yajnopavita (the sacred thread tied diagonally from the left shoulder to the right waist) which is done at the site of worship.
The family members preparing these idols for dispatch have been working on Ganesha orders for the past month and a half. The 186 clay dolls of ganesha seem to be an army of ganeshas stationed in every room of the house arrayed in neat rows. They all seem alike at a glance, but on closer inspection, we notice differences in head dress and sitting positions. Some have a turban on their heads, others have crowns and several others have glittering head dresses. Some are seated in the lotus-pose (padmasana) on the base, others are seated on stools with either both feet resting on the ground, or only one on the ground and the other folded and placed next to the other thigh. What is common to all of them is the material -- they are all made up of clay and painted with lead-based paints. A family operation for the past 75 years, this art could use eco-friendly paints and colors.
On inquiring about the price of the idols, they say " how can we set a price tag to God? People pay us what they feel the idol deserves and that is sufficient". Let us treasure these unsung craftsmen who add color to the festive season.
Painting the eye may seem to be a trivial aspect of the process of making an idol, but apparently this step constitutes the all-important aspect of "imparting sight" to the idol. This renders the idol ready for dispatch. However, what really makes the idol ready for worship is the adorning of the ornaments and finally the tying of the yajnopavita (the sacred thread tied diagonally from the left shoulder to the right waist) which is done at the site of worship.
The family members preparing these idols for dispatch have been working on Ganesha orders for the past month and a half. The 186 clay dolls of ganesha seem to be an army of ganeshas stationed in every room of the house arrayed in neat rows. They all seem alike at a glance, but on closer inspection, we notice differences in head dress and sitting positions. Some have a turban on their heads, others have crowns and several others have glittering head dresses. Some are seated in the lotus-pose (padmasana) on the base, others are seated on stools with either both feet resting on the ground, or only one on the ground and the other folded and placed next to the other thigh. What is common to all of them is the material -- they are all made up of clay and painted with lead-based paints. A family operation for the past 75 years, this art could use eco-friendly paints and colors.
On inquiring about the price of the idols, they say " how can we set a price tag to God? People pay us what they feel the idol deserves and that is sufficient". Let us treasure these unsung craftsmen who add color to the festive season.
