State Agriculture Department official Sangeeta Vedpathak has been voluntarily painting the Akhil Mandai Mandal's Ganapati idol for the past 15 years; she says it's her way of expressing adoration for the Almighty
State Agriculture Department official Sangeeta Vedpathak has been voluntarily painting the Akhil Mandai Mandal's Ganapati idol for the past 15 years; she says it's her way of expressing adoration for the Almighty
While most artists brush strokes on canvas, Sangeeta Vedpathak, a superintending officer of state agricultural department prefers painting the Lord's idol as it gives her immense pleasure. 
Divine strokes: Sangeeta Vedpathak says painting the idol gives her
immense pleasure and she is rendering service to the Lord Ganesh
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Vedpathak has been voluntarily painting the traditional Akhil Mandai Mandal statue of Ganpati and his wife Sharada, since the past 15 years.
Vedpathak has taken over her father's legacy to be the only woman to paint a Lord's statue. Earlier, Shankarrao Palkar, (90) had painted this statue.
"My father taught me the skill of painting a deity's statue." The most difficult element in painting a statue is to embellish the eyes of the Lord, she said. "I am not doing this for money, it is service to Lord Ganesha.
Painting the deity gives me immense pleasure," added Vedpathak, who is accompanied by her husband Vivek and son Pratik to accomplish the task.
Appreciating Vedpathak's efforts, Anna Thorat, president of Akhil Mandai Mandal, said that our deity is over 100- years-old.
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It is the Manacha Ganpati that is painted every year before the poojas for Ganesh Chaturti begin. "Usually men undertake the task of painting deities, but we are not gender biased. We know Sangeeta's (Vedpathak) dedication and trust her quality of work," asserted the mandal president.
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