TNN | Sep 7, 2011
HYDERABAD: This year, creativity seems to be the buzzword at Ganapati pandals of Old City. With vivid colors and bright lights, the idols put up in tiny pandals in dingy bylanes to the mega ones in crowded main roads, reflect the many ways in which devotees see lord Ganapati. So, from an Anna-themed display to a ten-headed Ganapati, Old City pandals are scoring on both messages and idol designs.
Drawing crowds are pandals depicting idols with contemporary themes. Take for instance the Ganesh pandal put up by textile traders of Patel market, where the lord's idol stands behind Team Anna. This divine backing of the Anna movement, however, is not without reason as textile traders have planted 'Abolish VAT on Textiles' placards in the hands of Anna's 'aides'.
And beating the skyrocketing prices of commodities is the lord presiding at the Gulzar Houz pandal. Made of dry fruits and weighing 51 kgs, this Ganapati could well be among the most precious in the city. And eco-friendly too. The organizer, Naveen Kumar, says, "We have been doing something new here for 21 years. This year our idol is in the form of Shyam Baba (an avatar of lord Krishna)." The Ganesh idol installed at the Mitti-ki-Sher Kaman, is also popular in the locality.
The pandal at Begum Bazaar chourasta may not be competition to the Khairatabad idol but certainly is one of the biggest in the city. The idol with ten heads stands 30-ft tall and each head depicts a virtue, the idea being to show lord Ganesh as a harbinger of justice. While there are many other idols in Begum Bazaar that stand out, the Pari Ganesh is worth a visit. This beautifully sculptured idol shows Ganesh being lifted by an angel.
"It is different from the rest and hence I decided to have Ganesh made like this," says Nitin Kumar, one of the organisers of the pandal. Ganesh idols at Begum Bazaar, say locals, are among the most creative of the lot. The famous Kokharwadi Ganesh this time has a more serious theme of a war, but a divine one, between Ganesh and a demon. Brought to life with pulleys and levers and light and sound effects, the pandal is drawing crowds. "We try to be different from others every year. We found a similar theme in Kolkata last year during Durga Puja and we decided to have it here," said Praveen Goel, an organizer. He adds that this is one pandal that children frequent everyday in the locality.
Drawing crowds are pandals depicting idols with contemporary themes. Take for instance the Ganesh pandal put up by textile traders of Patel market, where the lord's idol stands behind Team Anna. This divine backing of the Anna movement, however, is not without reason as textile traders have planted 'Abolish VAT on Textiles' placards in the hands of Anna's 'aides'.
And beating the skyrocketing prices of commodities is the lord presiding at the Gulzar Houz pandal. Made of dry fruits and weighing 51 kgs, this Ganapati could well be among the most precious in the city. And eco-friendly too. The organizer, Naveen Kumar, says, "We have been doing something new here for 21 years. This year our idol is in the form of Shyam Baba (an avatar of lord Krishna)." The Ganesh idol installed at the Mitti-ki-Sher Kaman, is also popular in the locality.
The pandal at Begum Bazaar chourasta may not be competition to the Khairatabad idol but certainly is one of the biggest in the city. The idol with ten heads stands 30-ft tall and each head depicts a virtue, the idea being to show lord Ganesh as a harbinger of justice. While there are many other idols in Begum Bazaar that stand out, the Pari Ganesh is worth a visit. This beautifully sculptured idol shows Ganesh being lifted by an angel.
"It is different from the rest and hence I decided to have Ganesh made like this," says Nitin Kumar, one of the organisers of the pandal. Ganesh idols at Begum Bazaar, say locals, are among the most creative of the lot. The famous Kokharwadi Ganesh this time has a more serious theme of a war, but a divine one, between Ganesh and a demon. Brought to life with pulleys and levers and light and sound effects, the pandal is drawing crowds. "We try to be different from others every year. We found a similar theme in Kolkata last year during Durga Puja and we decided to have it here," said Praveen Goel, an organizer. He adds that this is one pandal that children frequent everyday in the locality.
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