Every Ganesha has an invocation

Providing a boost to small scale artisans, Srushti — an artisans’ welfare association has showcased their works, as part of the Ganesh Darshan expo.  “Most of the idols on display are made of panchaloha (a mixture of metals, including gold and silver); they are sculpted based entirely on the tenets of the agama shastra, notably the Thiruvadhirai Aadheenam,” says Srinivasan R, treasurer of Srushti.

Every idol, Srinivasan explains, has a dhyana shloka, an invocation behind it, describing the deity in concern. Thus knowing the shloka would aid the sculptor in providing the appropriate features to his creation. To stress his point, he cites the similarities in most Ganesha idols: the Paashan, Kusha, Kalasha and Modaka. Improvisations are left to the imagination of the sculptor involved, he adds.

A sculptor by profession, Srinivasan explains that the effort involved in sculpting an idol influences its pricing the most. “If an artisan spends more time with an idol improvising its features, its cost, naturally, is bound to increase,” he says.

He adds that Srushti also conducts workshops for artisans, including those for Tanjore painting and wood carving. The participants are exposed to practices such as tool making, casting and raw material handling. He also adds that during such events, artisans get to interact with customers, gaining an understanding of their needs and tastes.

Pointing to a display titled Musical Ganeshas, he said that such creations do not necessarily abide by the agama shastra. “A popular demand is that of Ganesha with cricket bats; we are yet to meet such demands,” he says.

He, however, adds that NRIs form the bulk of the market for such creations. “The feeling that they have missed out on their native cultures is the motivating factor.”

Srushti, he adds, was formed around 12 years ago by renowned sculptor Radhakrishnan. It was then known as the Swamimalai Shilpakalai Koodam.

The exhibition also features Ganesha artifacts in precious metals such as jade, black metal, rose quartz, tiger eye and quartz crystal.

The exhibition is on till September 30.