Harry Potter, the literary character and a global craze, shares a scene with Hindu god Ganesha in a tableau created in a Gujarat city for an upcoming festival.
Ganesha is seen helping the fictitious adolescent character in casting a magic spell in one of the many tableau in Vadodara, 110 km from here, in western India.
"Harry Potter is such a popular character among all, especially children, that we thought of making a statue of him as well," said artist Ashok Ajmeri.
The life-size statue of Potter that took 15 days in making shows him with the magic wand, with Ganesha at his side. The white statues are made of plaster of Paris.
The statues will be on display during the annual Ganesha festival beginning September 7.
Devotees throng pandals, or marquees, where Ganesha idols are worshipped. These are later cast away in rivers or ponds in towns and cities.
A recent innovation in the festival is the inclusion of popular figures, celebrities and newsmakers alongside Ganesha statues.
In earlier years, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad statues drew crowds at Ganesha pandals in many Gujarat cities.
Ganesha is considered the god of wisdom and is widely worshipped in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
{{/usCountry}}Ganesha is considered the god of wisdom and is widely worshipped in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
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