Made of bangles & copra, these idols need no immersion

At a time when eco-friendly celebrations have become the mantra for Vinayaka Chaturthi, Tirupati has emerged as a trailblazer by going a step ahead to present ‘recyclable’ idols. There are at least two huge idols in the temple town which need no immersion as they will be dismantled and distributed among the devotees after the festival.

At Thummalagunta village on the city outskirts, a huge Vinayaka idol made of clay bangles is drawing the attention of the passersby. The Bala Vinayaka Committee and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Youth Association have plans to welcome the ‘Lord of wisdom’ in a novel form. They have chosen bangles as the raw material this festive season. Made of a whopping two lakh bangles, the 30-foot deity has become the cynosure of all eyes.

‘Baahubali’ connection

Artisans who had worked to erect the magnificent sets for the Tollywood movie ‘Baahubali’ are said to have been roped in to give shape to the idol here. It is learnt that a group of 30 artisans have slogged it out for 15 days for the task.

“Unlike the regular spherical shape, the Laddu placed in the palm of the Lord has been crafted in the form of Vinayaka himself. The prasadam weighing 1,116 kg is being prepared by local confectioners Sharif and Ashraf and it will be distributed among the devotees on the ‘Nimajjanam’ day,” a representative of the puja committee says.

Another huge idol is made of dry coconut (copra) at Gandhipuram Circle on D.R. Mahal Road after YSR Congress Party leader S.K. Babu took the initiative. The idol is made of 170 kg of copra and 200 coconuts. “After the festival, the dry coconut pieces will be distributed as prasadam,” says Murali Checharla, one of the organisers.

Meanwhile, clay idols are being distributed across the city by the civic authorities and charitable organisations to promote eco-friendly celebration.