Traditional artistry.
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated next week.
For over 150 years, the town of Pen in Maharashtra has specialised in the crafting of Ganesha murti-s. The pieces created and fashioned here are renowned for their exquisite detail, colour, and filigree.
These photographs were taken last month in a store in Goa that imports idols from Pen in advance of the festival.
Note: Pen (पेण) is pronounced like “pain” but with the retroflex stop ‘n’, a sound not found in English.
Baby Ganesha
5DS, 24-70L f/2.8 II
Ganesha’s vastra
iPhone 14 Pro & 5DS, 24-70L f/2.8 II
Ganesha with His father, Lord Shiva
5DS, 24-70L f/2.8 II
Ganapati Bappa, Morya!!! 🙂
Baby Ganesh is the best. I wish I could take him home. 😊
Good to know.
WOW!!! So vibrant! So sharp and clear! I really appreciate the “back story” to the diety and the language! It really helps uninformed Westerners grasp other cultures!
Thank you, Dan. Yes, vibrant colours are a thing in Indian tradition.
Earlier this week, I was shopping at my local Indian grocery store and saw hundreds of Ganesha murti-s. The display brought a smile to my face and lightened my day. The same happened when I viewed your photos. Nicely done, Rajan.
Thank you, Bob. I wonder if the idols sold in America are imported from India or made locally.
Rajan, the murtis sold in the Indian grocery stores in the US are imported from India.