Statue of Elephant (Ganesha Idols)

Ganesha is a revered god in Hinduism , his identity is quite strange, with the head of an elephant and a human body. He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati .

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is a 10-day festival celebrated across households in Maharashtra during August and September, a ostentatious and grandiose festival. Devotees buy idols and pictures of Ganesha and keep them as divine guests in their homes and at the end of the festival. On designated days, this statue or figure is ceremonially taken outside and immersed in a river or sea.

These idols come in many different sizes, shapes, and poses. Workshops where these idols are made can be seen all over Mumbai, especially in areas like Parel, Chinchpokli and Lalbaug. The village of Pen, about a two-hour drive south of Mumbai, is known for its skilled artisans who make thousands of Ganesha statues annually. Recently, due to environmental concerns arising from immersing idols in the Mumbai coast, many artisans are turning towards more environmentally friendly statue making techniques such as the use of red soil, fertilizers, natural color, do paper and other biodegradable materials.