Bandra East home pandal features Kathakali-themed Ganesha tableau

A Kathakali performer in costume balances a Ganesha figure about two inches tall at photographer Deepak Babaria’s Bandra East home.

Babaria, who also runs a Ganesha idol workshop, has brought Ganesha home for 17 years. The idea for this year’s idol began after he saw a Kathakali image behind an immersion idol last year. He wanted the dance form to be the centre of the work rather than a backdrop.

Sketch artist Harish Shrestha developed the design from Babaria’s concept, and sculptor Prashant Bagdi made the final idol. The full tableau stands about two feet high.

The family used clay and water-soluble paint for the idol. Their five-day celebration ends on Friday, when they plan to immerse it at an artificial pond in the neighbourhood.