A Marathi art director’s new exhibition will unveil 108 Ganeshas, crafted by artists from the marginalised and forgotten communities
Art director Sumit Patil
The blue tarpaulin sheets that make up the facade of Panchaganga Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal in Lower Parel (East) give no inkling of the 108 Ganesha idols that lie within. On entering the labyrinth, a Ganesha greets us at every step, each made up of vibrant natural colours and eco-friendly material. What’s interesting, though, is the story behind their creation.
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The exhibition, which opens at the mandal on Monday, is the labour of love of art director Sumit Patil, who over the last one year has worked with 108 marginalised communities of India, in an effort to revive forgotten craft traditions. “Instead of lamenting the decline of our ancient craft traditions, we should recognise that they need our patronage,” the 26-year-old says, while explaining why he decided to pursue the project. “Each idol has been meticulously handcrafted by artisans, whose craft is fading into oblivion due to factory-made goods,” adds Patil, who has worked on popular Marathi films like Por Bazar, Yogi and Bioscope.
Patil holds a Ganesha carved by woodcutters of Mithbao village in Konkan, Maharashtra. Pcis/Sneha Kharabe
Pointing to the miniature puppet Ganeshas, Patil tells us that this is the handiwork of artisans from Sawantwadi’s adivasi community. Artists from this community have been involved in leather puppetry for nearly 1,500 years. “Their puppetry usually dealt with the telling of stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata,” Patil says, adding that the local art form is also popular in the rural areas of Karnataka.
Patil has also recreated a Ganpati using antique oil and kerosene lanterns, which were once carried by tinglayajoshi — the men who would guard villages in Kudal, Maharashtra between midnight and 4 am. “While these men were also village storytellers, because they were entrusted with guarding villages at night, they also came to be seen as ‘chors’ (thieves) over the years. There are barely two or three such men now,” says Patil.
The art director began his research to identify such communities, early last year. “I had to make several trips to remote regions in Maharashtra, Kanpur, Rajasthan and Gujarat to locate them. There were days when we would arrive in the village at 7 am, but would have to wait till 6 pm to begin our ganpati-making workshop, because the people had to finish their daily chores,” he says.
The sessions, which would last for a day or two, would involve not just Ganpati-making, but also items that could help people eke out a living. “I taught them to make jewellery and accessories that could be sold through the year,”
he says.
The Parel resident even worked with visually-challenged students, cancer patients, women criminals in rehabilitation centres and old-age homes across Maharashtra. “My intention was to celebrate Ganeshotsav with people, who don’t get represented enough.”
The cost of the material, which came close to Rs 12 lakh, was borne by Patil himself. He dredged up his savings for the project. “It’s my dream project, and if I’m able to make a few lives better, I’ve achieved my objective,” he smiles.
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