Work on 63-ft Khairatabad Ganesh Idol Picks Up Momentum

Hyderabad: This year’s Khairatabad Ganesh idol will stand tall at an imposing 63 feet, which will be 13 feet more than the previous year. A commonality is that it will be a clay idol, which was made for the first time in 69 years, in 2022.

Meanwhile, work is picking up pace since its commencement a month back. They are racing against time as Ganesh Chaturthi is on September 18, the day the idol will be installed and opened for public darshan with traditional gaiety.

Ganesh Utsav Committee convenor Sandeep Raj told ‘Deccan Chronicle’, “We have decided to go ahead with a clay idol this year as well. The statue will be 63 feet in height and 22 feet in width. Around 150 persons are working in three shifts so that we can deliver the idol by September 15”.

Although it is yet to be finalised, the committee is most likely to name it ‘Vidya Ganpati’.

Two idol artists – Rajendran, a Chennai-based veteran with 30 years of standing in idol making, and clay artist from Odisha Joga Rao, who had worked on the idol for the first time last year — will work together this time around. Colour artists are from Kakinada’s Satya Arts.

The idol is estimated to weigh 45-50 tonnes. So far 22 tonnes of steel has been used for the frame, while 40,000 kg clay has been brought from Rajasthan; 1000 bags of jute powder of 40 kg each from Yelloor in Andhra Pradesh and rice husk have been collected from Yadadri.

The progress of work took a hit because of rain-induced road works.

“Welding work is presently in progress. Clay work will start next week,” added Sandeep Raj.