Bhubaneswar: The festival season kicked off with Ganesh Puja on Thursday with innovative idols and colourful pandals dotting the Odisha capital. The revelers cannot but look forward to pandal hopping and a lot of fun with most cultural and educational institutions and clubs organising the puja with religious fervour and gaiety.
Colossal Ganesha, Saheed Nagar
A 45-ft-high idol of Ganesh like that of Mumbai’s Lalbag adorns the pandal of the Winners Association at Saheed Nagar here.
A 51-kg ladoo in the idol’s hand, 22-ft gada (weapon) and 15-ft-high mouse make up the colossal idol. A total of 12 artisans of Kolkata and Odisha took about 45 days to sculpt it. Artisans from Puri were roped in for making the ornaments.
“Other attractions will be a selfie zone. We are also conducting a polythene ban campaign,” said a member of the association.
Cultural programmes will be held for seven days from today. On Friday, the Prince dance group will perform, he added.
Disaster-Relief Ganesha, Unit-VIII
Uni-VIII Ganesh Puja committee has always experimented with the idols.
This year, the committee members picked the recent natural calamity in Kerala as its theme with Ganesha rescuing the flood-affected. It is a work of art by the pass-outs of B K College of Art and Crafts. Interestingly, they completed the ‘Disaster-relief Ganesha’ in four days.
This committee always goes for thematic Ganesh every year depicting the current social issues.
Filigree Work, Ganga Nagar
The idol at Ganga Nagar has also been crafted in Mumbai’s Lalbag style. The main attraction here is the gate carved out like filigree work.
Kolkata artisans have made the gate as well as the idol.
The main attraction here will be cultural programme including dance, song programme and Bhajan Sandhya. Prasad for 4,000 to 5,000 has also been arranged.
Sahasra Mukhi Ganesha, Saheed Nagar
A ‘Sahasra Mukhi Ganesh’ idol has been crafted by Saheed Club at Saheed Nagar on the Sai Temple premises. The idol, constructed in Ganga soil, is seen riding 35 elephants.
What sets the idol apart is the clothes made in white sesame seeds and Masoor dal.
Prasad Sevan will be held on Thursday, Saturday and Monday. Besides, cultural programmes will also be organised.
Girija Mahal, Sareigada
Idol of Lord Ganesh at Sareigada near Chakeisiani here has been made in a standing position. The 16-ft idol seems ready to wave a battle.
The gate, which is a replica of Rajastan’s Girija Mahal, has been created by Kolkata artisans and the idol by that of Baranga.
Other attractions here will be six-day cultural programme and multi-coloured light gates.
Lord In Artificial Flowers
Gadakana Youth Club has come up with a 12-ft Ganesha made of colourful artificial flowers. “More than Rs 25,000 was spent on these flowers and the idol has been created by artisans from Kolkata,” said the club president Piken Jena.
The puja is also being organised at Master Canteen, Raj Mahal, Ashok Nagar, Bapuji Nagar and Laxmi Sagar in the city.
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