Times of India | 3 months ago | 27-08-2022 | 10:18 pm
The pandemic has taught people and families to be as self-sufficient and independent as possible, and continuing with this trend, many families have enrolled their younger ones for workshops, held across the state, to learn the art of making clay Ganesha idols. Works of Pure clayMost Goan households bring home clay idols, which are generally eco-friendly and safe. These workshops too encouraged the use of the same medium. “We ensured that the idols were made with pure clay, so that children understand its importance and how it is safe for the environment,” says Apeksha Nadkarni, who held workshops in Vasco and Panaji, with over 50 participants in attendance. The children too seem very enthusiastic to get their hands messy with clay, at these workshops, as Chaitali Morijkar notes, “I’ve always held clay modelling workshops in the past, but when I had the clay Ganesha idol workshop, I noticed a lot of spirit, enthusiasm and dedication among the kids. Many families believe in and worship Lord Ganesha and making his idol with their bare hands was something they found very fascinating. Hence the interest and dedication was apparent.” As part of the Green Ganesha Goa campaign held for kids below 16 years, Kajol Bandodkar held a similar workshop in Mapusa on August 21. “We organised a mud idol making workshop and the response was great, with around 66 participants. We had an expert who trained the young minds and taught them how a Ganesh idol is done, with step-by-step instructions,” says Kajol. Idols of worship, well some of themSeveral families plan their ganesha idols and book them from artisans in advance, but the fact that the children of their households have been working diligently on their art, is not gone into oblivion. Some want to proudly display their child’s handywork too! “Many families are excited about their children participating in workshops, and they plan on keeping the works of art at the worship site. Some plan to keep these clay idols alongside the family idol, as a token of appreciation for the hard work their kids have put in,” says Spana Kabra, who organised a workshop at Parra recently. Immunity building properties of clay make parents happySavita Naik, whose 10-year-old child enjoyed getting his hands dirty, hopes that the activity will help build her son’s immunity. “Post the pandemic, we have been very cautious about what and where our son goes and plays with. Over the last few months, I’ve noticed that he has been falling sick often, and this could be because his immunity is very weak. So we thought that getting his hands muddy might do him good.” Likewise, Manish Kerkar wanted his 12-year-old son to explore sculpting as an art form. “There is nothing better than attending classes where they teach the basics of working with clay and modelling it. Also, as it was for Ganesh Chathurti, he was excited to attend such classes.”