with his huge ears and long trunk is the in the form of a favorite animal...Elephant! Ganapathi in every
TMD home is a favorite visitor, loving modak and laadoos!
Another factor that adds interest to this festival is the buying of a new clay idol each year;
we bring him home with a 'mangalaarathi' and seat him in the 'devghar'. With equal fanfare is he also
sent away at the end of the puja. With bells ringing, we take him outside to do the 'visarjan'.
Here, in USA and other places out of India, we find it difficult to find an idol of clay that we can
do'visarjan' also. My solution to this has been make my own tiny clay Ganesha and do the visarjan.
Here is the method....
Here's how to make Ganesha from clay.
YOU WILL NEED:
1) Please buy clay making sure it is soft and mouldable. Amaco is good so are a few others....but do
ask to open the pack and check that it is soft....
2) Wooden skewers will be required..or chopsticks. Also a few toothpicks. 2 aritificial flowers
Some decorative beads, zari, glitters etc.
3) Next spread a plastic sheet on a large working area.
Have ready the 'phaat' on which you will place Ganesha.
4) Now you are all set to start....
METHOD:
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Take some clay, knead it a little and shape like a rectangle. this is the clay 'phaat', your Ganesha will
sit on.
Place this on the wooden plank (or whatever phaat) you have ready.
LOWER BODY: Next, take enough clay to make a ball shape in the size of a tennis ball.
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Knead this a little so it is easy to shape.
Now make a round ball out of this and place on the clay rectangle.
UPPER BODY/TORSO: Now repeat the above process ONLY THE SIZE of the ball should be about
half or 3/4 the size of the first ball you just made.
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UPPER AND LOWER BODY : Place this second ball on the first one and with slightly wet fingers,
shape like the torso (upper body) of Ganesha. While doing this shape you will be JOINING the
two rounds together to form a upper and lower body of Ganesha.
Lower body will be a liitle bigger than upper body with a big stomach. If stomach looks too small
add patches of clay and make it protrude. All the while shape with moist fingers, so that no cracks
are visible.
LEGS:
Take enough clay and make two thick legs and feet. The upper leg /thigh shd be thick enough in
symmetry to the body of Ganesha.
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Attach the legs to the back of Ganesha and once again mould with wet fingers. At the back, in the
center of where u attached the two legs, add a strip of clay like a 'kaccha' You would have placed
the legs like"sitting like Ganesha'.' Ganeshaaska baslaahe' गणेशास्का बस्लाहे
HANDS:
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make two long shapes to shape the hands. Attach the thicker part of the hands to the top of the
second ball( the torso) on both sides..
Bring the hands to the front and and attach the upper part of the arms to the body of Ganesha.
The lower part of the arm will stand alone (attached at the upper arm). \
SHAPE PALMS:
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TRUNK AND HEAD:
Take clay about enough for a little bigger than tennis ball. Knead very well.
Make a round slightly longish in front
Now start shaping a short trunk to the face.
Shape ears.
Now with wet fingers, smooth the shape you have made.
ATTACHING HEAD:
Poke the skewer on to the body of Ganesha on top of the upper body. this will be on top of
where you have attached both the hands.
Place the head on to the skewer. (Make sure ur skewr is cut to the right size...it should not peek out!)
With wet fingers ease out and shape the attached neck..so no lines are visible.and it looks one piece.
TWO MORE HANDS:
Cut a skewer to 1/3. Shape the second pair of hands...just a short longish roll and poke the skewer
on the thicker part of the hands and attach with the skewer to the back of the upper body(in the back)
Repeat on other side.
Place the artificial flower in each hand.
TUSKS:
Snip off apiece of toothpick and roll some clay around and poke and place as tusks on both sides.
SNAKE:
Be sure to shape a long long snake and tie around Ganesha's waist.
CROWN:
Shape any type of crown...
MOUSE:
Shape a body, pointy face, 4 legs, and a tail!
EYES:
Place two clay dots and two lines as eyebrows..and paint black after a little dry.
Decorate Ganesha with clay or decorative beads, zari etc. bangles, earrings, painjan, decorate his
trunk and crown or even with just a toothpick.
Add a paper panche and anga vastra. do all this while clay is still wet.
After puja, Ganesha comes alive, you feel He is smiling!
