In Telangana's Nizamabad, Local Mandali Creates 10-foot tall Mirror Ganesh Statue

The members of a council came up with the idea of organising Ganesh Utsava in a unique way. They brought pieces of coloured glasses from Mumbai. Two artisans worked for 20 days to prepare the mirror Ganesh; it is a 10-foot tall Ganesh statue. Mammadevi Ganesh Mandali of Mammadevi Nagar in central Nizamabad district (Telangana) has been organising Ganesh festivals for the last 75 years. For the last three years, young members have taken over the responsibility of the Ganesh celebrations. In 2022, Ganesh was made of peacock feathers. Pearls were brought from Mumbai to create an innovative Ganesh in 2023. With the intention of making this year’s Utsav special, small mirrors were brought from Mumbai. The special lighting makes Ganesha look different every time he is illuminated and captivates the devotees.

Bhagat, a member of the Ganesh Utsava Committee, says that they have worked hard to make this idol. “For the last three years, we have come forward to make Yuvakulam Ganesh. For three years, we have prepared and worshipped Ganesh in innovative ways with the intention of making something unique“, they said. “Two years ago, Ganesh was made with peacocks, last year with pearls and this time with small glasses. Many people come from all over to see our Ganesh. The temple committee members plan to make more innovative Ganesh idols in the coming days to attract people and win them over to God’s grace,” they added.

In the temple town of Mangalagiri, traders have decorated an idol in a unique way using currency notes worth Rs 2.20 crore. This initiative was started by Sankar Balaji Gupta, a businessman with diverse interests including the retailing of fabrics. The tradition began 18 years ago, when traders of the town started decorating the idol with Rs 5 lakh, with the amount increasing every year as more and more traders contributed, believing that it would bring them luck for their businesses.

Balaji said in an interview, “Our pandal has become known for its unique decoration during Ganesh Puja festivities every year. Traders from all over the town follow this tradition. We keep a record of all the donors and the amounts they give and return it to them once the pandal is dismantled.”