Hyderabad: Preparations are in full swing in Dhoolpet for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival. With about a month-and-a-half left before the beginning of the celebrations, dozens of artists and decorators have swung into action and started crafting hundreds of idols of Lord Ganesha.
Using Plaster of Paris (POP), the skilled artisans in the area work diligently to create intricate and beautiful idols. Talking to Deccan Chronicle, a local artist, Ganesh, who has been making idols for over two decades, said, “This is the busiest time of the year for us. We work long hours to ensure each idol is perfect and ready for the festival.”
“My father and grandfather were in the business of making idols, and we are continuing the tradition. We make idols up to 15 feet in height and create models in different shapes, sizes and ideas,” said another artisan, Lalit Kumar.
Dhoolpet has long been known as the hub for making Lord Ganesha idols in Hyderabad. During this season, the area attracts many pandal organisers as well as those who install the idols at home, who come to place their orders for the festival and also observe the idol-making process.
Lalit Kumar said “We are taking orders from people who are setting up pandals. People come up with different ideas for idols, some want their idols to look like Sri Rama in Ayodhya and some want pehelwan (bodybuilder) designs and so on. The work involves a lot of creativity.”
With the festival drawing near, the excitement and devotion in Dhoolpet is quite palpable and people are placing quite a few orders for Ganesh idols.
