Shri Ashta Siddhi Mahaganpati- 72-foot idol of Lord Ganesha coming up at Nagole, Hyderabad | Screengrab from PTI Video

Hyderabad: A massive 72-foot idol of Lord Ganesha is being built in Nagole, Hyderabad, ahead of this year's Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. The idol, named Shri Ashta Siddhi Mahaganpati, is being made entirely from natural materials like clay, without any chemicals or Plaster of Paris (POP). According to the organisers, the entire process from making the idol to its immersion is completely eco-friendly, with the idol set to be immersed at the same site.

The initiative is being carried out by the Tiranga Youth Association, which has upheld this eco-friendly idol-making tradition for nearly two decades.
According to organiser Sai Mudiraj, the idol is almost ready. "This year, a 72-foot Shri Ashta Siddhi Mahaganpati idol is being installed here. The idol is completely eco-friendly, and no chemicals or Plaster of Paris have been used in its making. We are using grass, wood, Ganga clay and watercolours," he said. He added that the idol is about 90 percent complete, with the remaining finishing touches expected to be done within the next two days.
Fellow organiser Kotakonda Nagesh said that the material and clay were sourced from Kolkata and coloured entirely with watercolours. The construction took around two and a half months, with 21 workers labouring day and night to bring it to life. The total cost of building the idol has been estimated at around Rs 50 lakh, he said.
Organiser Upendra Gupta noted that around 20 artisans were brought from West Bengal specifically for this work. The puja rituals will be performed according to traditional scriptures, and the celebrations are expected to draw around 10,000 devotees daily for darshan.
In keeping with the eco-friendly theme, the immersion will also take place at the same site. Organisers have pledged that after the immersion, the idol's clay will be distributed among devotees for reuse, rather than left to pollute local water bodies.
The 12-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival begins on September 14, with celebrations expected to draw large crowds of devotees to pandals across the city.
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