Underside

Under the Over at Andheri traffic signals, the right turn takes one to the International Mumbai Airport..

Bright....

Heres a bright one! In the cities these statues are made of Plaster of Paris. In the rural areas they are made of clay.

Intricate...

Heres one with intricate designs....

A big one..

One of the bigger ones awaiting completion...

Some more

Here again, idols in different stages of completion with a few ready to be housed.

Various stages

Ganesh statues or idols in various stages of completion..

Creation..

The making of the idols of Lord Ganesh has begun in Mumbai in right earnest. Ganesh or Ganapati as this elephant headed God is known, is one of the millions of 'gods' in the pantheon of the most user friendly religions - Hinduism. The 10 day festival of Ganesh will begin on 14September and end with the immersion of the idols in ponds,wells,lakes,rivers or seas. This festival is celebrated with great fanfare in Mumbai. During the Indian freedom struggle, Lokmanya Tilak (freedom fighter) used this festival to get people together in large numbers and spread the fire of freedom fighting in Mumbai. So to a Mumbaikar, this festival has a national as well as religious significance.