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Bhubaneswar, Sept 1: Lord Ganesha in 30 different forms were lined up at the seven-day exhibition titled ‘Ganesh Mahotsav’ at Soochana Bhawan, Thursday. The exhibition is being jointly organised by Oparupa Artistes’ Cooperative Societies, Kalinga Sanskruti and Ayitiha Surakhya Manch.
The idols on show have been made of stone, bell metal, paddy, golden grass, dhokra, terracotta, silver filigree, coir, straw, lacquer craft, marble, ceramic, pattachitra, palm, coconut shell, gems stone, paper pulp and fiber. Sixty craftspersons from across the state have created the idols.
Sanghamitra Das, a member and artist, said: “The exhibition showcases talents and creations of the artists. The collection here has been brought in from different district and each idol is unique. Visitors will like the exhibition.”
The idols on show range from 1 inch to 4 feet in height. Debendra Moharana, a resident of Bhabanipatna, has carved Ganesha out of wood. “It took me five months to create a perfect wood craft and many visitors here have liked it.” Debendra recently received the state award for his craft.
About 20 creations by national awardees such as Debraj Sahoo, Samnath Mohapatra, Sudhir Maharana, Indumanai Maharana and Karunakar Sahoo were also displayed at the exhibition.
Visitors can also buy idols for prices ranging from Rs45 to Rs1.5 lakh. Debendra’s wood carved idol costs more than Rs1 lakh. “The price has been fixed in accordance with the investment and the visitors can understand the situation of an artiste,” he said.
On the sixth day of the exhibition, the organisation will felicitate three craftspersons with lifetime achievement award for promoting the art. Swarnaprabha Swain from Kendrapada will awarded for her works on golden grass, Bansidhar Maharana from Raghurajpur will receive award for his Ganjapa craft and Chaitanya Behera will be awarded for his dhokra works.
“It is an honour to felicitate these artistes for their incredible work throughout their lifetime. They have been an inspiration to us,” Dilip Nayak, another member of the organisation, said.
The inaugural day witnessed a good crowd. The exhibition-cum-sale ends September 7 and is open from 9 am to 10 pm each day.
