His frail-looking visage comes alive as he spots something askew. The weather-beaten face, a reflection of years of outdoor work, registers a slight irritation. Immediately, he gets up and shouts orders to workers, who listen to him intently, like children listening to the school headmaster.
Long creases on his face and a permanent frown are an indication that he knows he can’t afford to do wrong. Wednesday was his 58 birthday, and instead of spending time with his family, Chinnaswamy Rajendran is sitting in front of the mammoth 60-foot Ganesh idol at Khairatabad and gazing at it contentedly. Like every year, the expectations from devotees are sky high and the artist wants to leave nothing to chance.
“I will get the Lord ready by August 24 or 25. Lakhs of devotees from across the country will come here. So, there is a definite pressure to do our best. This year, we are showcasing the Lord in the form of Kailasha Vishwarupa Maha Ganapati ,” he says.
Rajendran has been designing and building the Khairatabad idol since 1978. Each year, the challenge gets tougher because the height of the idol keeps increasing.
“My first Ganesh idol in 1978 was 14 feet high. This year, it is 60 foot high and nearly 30 foot wide. Finding 30-foot-wide roads for the immersion procession is tough. From next year, the height of the idol will decrease,” says Rajendran.
Interestingly, the Khairtabad Ganesh Utsav Committee members in 1978 did not have enough faith in the young artist and they hedged their bets.
“In my first year, there were two Ganesh idols at Khairatabad because I was working for the first time in this field. The other Ganesh idol was designed and built by artists from Dhoolpet,” he says with a wry smile.
Rajendran’s artistic journey began in the erstwhile Madras State when he joined well-known film set designer and builder Veluswamy in 1968-69.
“I was just 10 or 11 years old and would get 50 paisa for working on film sets. Later, I joined the team that designed the ornaments for NTR for his mythological roles in films. Along with NTR, I came to Hyderabad and started designing film sets for him,” he says.
While his work became synonymous with Khairatabad Ganesh, Rajendran is also the artist behind the well-known Surendrapuri, Kunda Satyanrayana Kala Dhamam in Yadgirigutta.
“I have developed a deep bond and a firm believer in Khairatabad Ganesh. The three months that I spend here to build the idol are the best months for me in the year,” he says, getting ready to climb to the top.
