The multiple folds of the turban are draped over the head, the sacred thread is resting diagonally from left shoulder to the right hip and the pleats of the dhoti are tucked neatly into the waist as the big-bellied lord stands majestically atop the pencil.
With a height of 0.8 cm and a width of 0.3 cm, this miniature marvel was carved by Gattem Venkatesh, a third year student of GITAM School of Architecture, on a pencil lead in just three hours.
When the entire city is resplendent with festive spirit ushering in Ganesh Chaturthi where a number of organisations, residents’ welfare associations, shopping malls and sweet shops are coming up with largest pandals to install huge Ganesh idols and offering bulkiest laddus this year, Venkatesh wanted to create something tiny. “Earlier, I have converted dozens of glass bangles into an elephant-headed lord. This time, I wanted to do something different and that’s how the idea of micro Ganesh came up,” says Venkatesh.
Though the micro artist designed hundreds of little marvels using pencil lead, toothpicks, chalks and paper boats along with a range of eco-friendly products, the miniature Ganesh is another collection in his kitty. “When I organise free workshops under the banner Venky Art at government schools in my hometown Chinna Doddigallu village in Nakkapalli mandal, there is always something new to teach the little ones,” says the micro artist who has designed over 300 miniature marvels.
A ship (24 X 18m) incorporating 5,432 paper boats that eventually gained him an entry into the Limca Book of Records, a chessboard (1.2 cm X 1.2 cm) with miniature coins made of pencil lead and Eiffel Tower designed with pens form a part of his creations.
“I have carved The Empire State Building on a 12-mm toothpick in 20 minutes which has also been nominated in the Guinness Book of Records,” adds Venkatesh.
