Shera, the mascot of the Commonwealth Games, has struck a lasting bond with Punjab, courtesy Abninder Singh Grewal.
Grewal, who hails from SAS Nagar, is a busy man these days as he prepares numerous nine-inch-long polystone figurines of Shera.
"I saw the tender for preparing the models and I approached the Punjab government's Phulkari Emporium to bid for it. I assured them I could provide them the models at a specific rate. They got the tender and outsourced it to me," said Grewal.
"It was tough competition as bids came from all over the country. Our bid was the lowest," he added.
"We were asked how we'd make the pieces at such a low price, my answer was, 'my Shera will be corruption-free'. Others might be gunning for profit but I want to contribute to the nation in my own way," he said.
Grewal's design was approved on Monday and the man is aware of the task ahead. "I will be making 1,500 models and my team is working overtime. Since the models will be handmade, the detailing and gloss will have to match international standards," said Grewal.