Come Vinayaka Chavithi, the talk of the town is where is the tallest idol installed. The festival organisers do not mind spending a fortune to stand tall and grab attention. With eco-friendly celebration as their tagline, they come up with idols made of clay, and fruits and vegetables too.
This festival, the celebration is not only about how tall the idol is, but how sweet it is once it is distributed as ‘prasadam’.
Wondering what has gone into the making of the idol? The answer is, jaggery!
The Lambodhara Charitable Trust is erecting a 75-foot-tall idol of Lord Ganesh at Kotta Nakkavanipalem, near Gajuwaka bus depot, in the city that is made of jaggery specially procured from Rajasthan.
The organisers estimate that at least 20 tonnes of jaggery is required to make the idol, with each tonne costing ₹50,000!
“It is a first-of-its-kind idol in the country, both in terms of size and edible item used in its making,” claims M. Srinivasa Rao, the chief spokesperson of the trust, while speaking to The Hindu.
But why jaggery from Rajashtan when it can be procured from the local Anakapalli market?
“There is a special reason for it. Jaggery procured from Rajasthan can withstand all weather conditions for up to two months, without any change in its original state. The Anakapalli jaggery is good, but it turns into liquid form quickly. As we have to worship for 21 nights, we have sourced it from Rajasthan through a dealer in Poorna Market. We have used about 8 tonnes so far, and it will be complete by September 5,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.
To make the idol, the organisers had roped in skilled sculptors, two from Mumbai and three from Kolkata, and a few others from Anakapalli. “An Anakapalli-based sculptor, Srinivasa Rao, is heading the team,” he added.
On their sources funds for the grand celebration, the chief spokesperson said at least ₹20 lakh was required, and they were dependent on donors for the purpose.
Visakhapatnam West MLA P.G.V.R. Naidu (Ganababu) and Gajuwaka MLA Palla Srinivasa Rao chipped in by arranging land at Kotta Nakkavanipalem that belonged to a TDP leader from Srikakulam for the purpose.
The orgnisers said the idol would not be immersed. After the final puja, small pieces of it would be distributed as ‘prasadam’ to the devotees.
The idol would be open for darshan with the first ritual amid Vedic hymns on September 7 at 10.30 a.m.
The other members of the organising team are Molli Srinivasa Rao (chairman), M. Govardhan (president), B. Nagaraju (joint secretary), and M. Yogendra (orgnising secretary).
Published - September 01, 2024 09:34 pm IST
