[PhotoSparks] Outstanding Ganesha idol designs: and a happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all!

PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In this showcase, we feature some of the amazing designs of statues and idols during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, and share greetings for prosperity and success with our readers! 

In the earlier 145 posts, we brought you a wide range of creative photographs from an art fair, world music festival, painting fair, telecom expo, art museum, mobile showcase, math museum, social hackathon, bookstore, co-working space, sensorium, international design week, flower show, outdoor ads, startup roadshow, computer museum, startup T-shirts, business cards, art therapy, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, Vesak, jazz festival, modern art gallery, ecopreneurs, painter-poets, health activists, eNGOs and digital innovators.

The Ganesh Chaturthi festival is hugely popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa and other parts of India (see the article 'How Ganesh Utsav became the festival of the masses'). The creativity of the artisans making the idols continues to amaze and delight year after year, with innovative (and even humorous) themes and designs. See also my photo essay on Ganesh Chaturthi from 2015, and creative designs of Diwali rangoli, Onam pookalam, Vesak and Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival.

The areas of RV Road (off Lal Bagh Botanical Garden) and Gandhi Market in Bengaluru are packed with stalls showing amazing designs of the idols. Current trends include ‘green’ statues made of clay rather than plaster-of-Paris.

Elsewhere in India, related artwork has appeared in the form of a sand sculpture in Odisha, and there is even a 500-kg statue of Ganesha in Mumbai made from auto parts. There are also idols made from biscuits, old coins, chocolate and dry fruits!

Lord Ganesha is associated with power, wisdom, prosperity, good luck, removal of obstacles, and resolution of complex situations. Next month, we at YourStory begin the tenth year of our journey – and we wish all our readers a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi and a successful year ahead!

Got a creative photograph to share? Email us at [email protected]!

See also the YourStory pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups,’ accessible as apps for Apple and Android devices.