E-Paper
From a robotic Ganesha to a 13-ft pani puri idol: The most unusual Bappa creations this year
As Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations unfold across India, artisans are giving Bappa a creative makeover. Here's how
Prefer HTon Google
As India celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi from September 14 through Anant Chaturdashi on September 25, artisans and devotees are going well beyond traditional clay idols — crafting my friend Ganesha in everything from diamond-studded statues to bangles, to edible dates and pani puri.
Viksit Bharat Vision
Celebrating their 50th year, the Mallikarjuna Nagar Youth Welfare Association in Uppuguda, Hyderabad, built a futuristic, armour-like robotic Ganesha alongside a high-speed bullet train display. The pandal further incorporated industrial models and patriotic posters depicting India’s technological progress toward 2047.
Gold & Diamond Ganesha
In Begum Bazaar market, Hyderabad, devotees installed a glittering 48-kg Ganesha idol coated in 24-carat gold plating and studded with over 3.8 lakh sparkling American diamonds, making it one of the season’s most valuable pandal centrepieces with an estimated value of ₹4 crores.
Dried Dates & Raisins Ganesha
Set up by the Miracle Youth association in Sheela Nagar, Visakhapatnam, this edible creation features a Ganesha idol sculpted entirely out of 100 kilograms of dried dates, complete with a companion mouse (Mooshak) assembled from 10 kg of black raisins.
13-Foot Pani Puri Ganesha
Outside the Ganesh Bhel outlet on Fergusson College (FC) Road in Pune, artist Prashant Salunkhe crafted a towering 13-foot-high, 10-foot-wide Ganesha idol using 21,000 crispy pani puri puris. Built over a bamboo and paper frame using excess dough that would have otherwise gone to waste, the eco-friendly structure took nearly two months of preparation to assemble.
Natural Seashell Ganesha
Installed near Jagadamba Junction, Visakhapatnam, this coastal-themed installation is constructed out of over 6,000 natural, hand-picked ocean seashells meticulously glued onto a reinforced frame to form the deity’s distinct shape.
50,000 Living Plant Ganesha
Located at Sri Chintamani Ganapathi Datta Kshetram in Visakhapatnam, this 20-foot “Maha Sasya Ganapathi” is grown out of 50,000 living saplings woven into a massive vertical botanical structure that requires daily watering to stay green.
1 Crore Rudraksha Ganesha
Unveiled on Beach Road, Visakhapatnam, for Vinayaka Chavithi, this imposing sacred idol is intricately woven together using ten million (1 crore) real Rudraksha beads strung over a heavy wooden superstructure.
1 Crore Bangle Ganesha
Installed in the Srinagar area of Gajuwaka by SV Entertainments, the Sri Divya Kankana Alankara Maha Ganapati idol is embellished with over 1 crore (10 million) colourful glass bangles sourced from Uttar Pradesh. Constructed over a wooden log and cane framework by master artisans from Chirala, the installation stands as a major festival attraction celebrating traditional Indian ornamentation.
Record-breaking festive modaks
Sweetmakers are also pushing culinary boundaries for Bappa this year. In Nashik, Sagar Sweets (Vidya Vikas Circle) introduced 24-carat edible gold-leaf wrapped modaks priced at ₹27,000 per kg ( ₹540 per piece), along with silver-leaf kaju variants at ₹2,000 per kg. Meanwhile, in Kolkata, West Bengal, iconic sweet shop Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick unveiled a colossal 1,100-kilogram mega-modak decorated with hundreds of kilos of cashews, almonds, and dried figs as their grand festival centerpiece.
