Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Kathakali-Inspired Ganesha Idol Draws Attention At Mumbai Pandal
A family in Mumbai made a special Ganesha idol this year.
It combines Ganesha with Kerala’s Kathakali dance style.
The idol shows a Kathakali performer carrying a very small Ganesha.
The whole tableau is about two feet tall.
The Ganesha figure itself is only about two inches tall.
Deepak Babaria thought of the idea after seeing a Kathakali image during an immersion.
Artists then sketched and sculpted the design.
The idol uses clay and water-dissolving paint, and the family plans to immerse it in an artificial pond.
A Bandra East family has created a Ganesha idol inspired by Kerala’s Kathakali dance form.
The idol depicts a Kathakali performer in full costume balancing a tiny Ganesha.
Photographer and workshop owner Deepak Babaria conceived the design after seeing a Kathakali image during an immersion last year.
Sketch artist Harish Shrestha designed the concept, while sculptor Prashant Bagdi created the idol.
The clay-and-paint idol is designed to dissolve in water without leaving pollutants and will be immersed Friday at a nearby artificial pond.
- Who
- Photographer and idol workshop owner Deepak Babaria, with sketch artist Harish Shrestha and sculptor Prashant Bagdi, created the idol.
- What
- A Kathakali-inspired Ganesha idol combining the deity with a performer in traditional costume.
- When
- The five-day Ganesh festival will conclude on Friday, when the idol will be immersed.
- Where
- At a home in Bandra East, Mumbai, followed by immersion at a neighbourhood artificial pond.
- Why
- Babaria wanted to make Kathakali an integral part of the idol, while using materials intended to avoid pollution in water.
- Location
- Bandra East, Mumbai
- Inspiration
- Kerala’s traditional Kathakali dance-drama
- Tableau height
- Around two feet
- Ganesha figure size
- About two inches
- Materials
- Clay and paint that dissolve in water
- Design team
- Deepak Babaria, Harish Shrestha and Prashant Bagdi
- Immersion site
- An artificial immersion pond in the neighbourhood