Ganesha idol to be fashioned from sand of holy cities, waters of sacred rivers

Mysuru: To make the Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations in Mysuru a holy affair, the Ganesha Utsava Committee has commissioned the moulding of an idol of the God using soil from the 21 holy cities of the country, with waters from the seven sacred rivers to bind them. NR Manjunath, the president of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch, confirmed that the idol prepared thus would be offered prayers at the fete organised at Madhava Krupa on JLB Road, from August 31 5o September 4.
In addition to its essentially sacred element, the idol would serve as a metaphor for unity and nationalism, given that it would be a composite of clay sourced from Kedar, Mathura and Varanasi, effectively bringing these places to Mysuru. Meanwhile, waters from Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Cauveri among other rivers, would be used for working the clay. “We are collecting various other items from 108 homes across Mysuru, with which we will decorate the idol. We will hold a workshop on August 28 to train residents in making eco-friendly idols of Ganesha. Children will be taught to make Ganesha from seedballs,” Manjunath said.
Various cultural events will be held as part of the Ganeshotsava celebrations, he added.