Mythology brought to life at Ganesh pandals in Secunderabad

Hyderabad: This Ganesh Chaturthi, pandals are going the extra mile to present to devotees a lesson or two in mythology. 

At the pandal at RP Road, Secunderabad, which has been set up by the Old Bhoiguda Friends Association, the story of Krishna’s life is being depicted through the use of life-sized models and puppets accompanied by a voiceover. Ganesh devotees have been gathering in large numbers to watch the show which lasts about 20 minutes. 

Sneha Sajan, a devotee, says, “It is an innovative idea to portray the story of Krishna. The models of Kamsa and Kaliya are especially notable. A lot of attention has been paid to detail in the assembly of the models and puppets.” 

Ramesh G., a member of the Ganesh Samiti, says, “We began creating the set along with the pandal itself. We designed the pandal along the lines of the seven doors of the Tirumala Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh. Our Ganesh has been designed to resemble Lord Venkateshwara. We wanted to create something interesting for the devotees to watch.” 

He says that a lot of work went into the preparation of the life-sized models, their clothing, the voiceover and the accompanying music. 

Members of the pandal say that they wish to portray the story of a different mythological character every year in order to capture the attention of the devotees and to narrate the epics in interesting ways. 

“It is hard work to set up something like this. We have received calls from many pandals enquiring about the time it took us to make these arrangements. We believe that this practice could spread to other pandals too from next year onwards. Most pandals have different characters from the Hindu epics as part of their processions. Extending this kind of performance to all pandals would result in a gratifying experience for devotees,” says a member of the association. 

Many devotees have been motivated to visit the pandal because of its design and the show. The association has been running shows throughout the day. 

“We switch off the lights during the shows because we have arranged for special lighting for it. It also ensures a theatrical experience,” says Ramesh.