Vinayagar Chaturthi festival; traditional artisans are giving the finishing touches to the Vinayagar idols being made in Tiruchi

Traditional craftspeople are busy giving the Vinayagar idols being created in Tiruchi the last touches with less than two weeks till the Vinayagar Chaturthi celebration. Vinayagar idols of many different varieties are created at Kondayampettai, Thiruvanaikoil in the Tiruchi district. In other areas of the region, clay is also used to create miniature, one- to two-foot-tall idols.

Using moulding dies, enormous Vinayagar statues up to 15 feet tall are produced. Paper pulp and tapioca flour are the primary ingredients used in the creation of enormous idols, according to S.Shanthi, a Kondayampettai-based sculptor whose family has a long history of idol-making. The head, arms, legs, and mounts of the idol would all be manufactured individually using mould dies and then joined to the body. Based on the requests they get, artisans create personalised designs. In the last stage, artists embellish the idols with sequins, gems, and natural dyes that are non-toxic, water-based, and colourful.

Vinayagar idol preparation starts with the gathering and processing of raw materials from the nearby Salem area as early as the Tamil month of "Thai" (January-February). Depending on the size and style, several artists sell idols on the open market for between 12,000 and 25,000 rupees. Additionally, the Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, and Tirunelveli districts receive the idols created at Tiruchi. 

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has issued a set of recommendations for creating idols, emphasising the need of enjoying the event without harming the environment. Only waterbodies could be used to submerge eco-friendly, natural, and biodegradable idols that were painted with non-toxic natural colours on traditional, virtue-based clay and mud.