Bhagyashree Deshpande creates largest paper-quilling Ganesh idol in Mumbai

Crafting artist Bhagyashree Deshpande has made an attempt to etch her name in the prestigious Limca Book of Records by creating the largest paper-quilling idol of lord Ganesh in Mumbai. Her attempt was supported by Pidilite.

Bhagyashree Deshpande used Fevicol A+, a specialised adhesive for crafts from the house of Pidilite, to create the largest paper-quilling Ganesh idol.

The idol was unveiled at the High Street Phoenix mall in Lower Parel area of Mumbai on Tuesday. The idol stands five feet and two inches in height.

Made from 40,000 paper strips, glued together using 50 bottles of Fevicol A+ of 85 gm each. The idol had been largely completed beforehand by Bhagyashree Deshpande and had 50 students from schools across Mumbai come together for applying the finishing touches on Tuesday.

Bhagyashree Deshpande said, “Making an entry into the Limca Book of Records is never easy and with the support of Fevicol A+, I am attempting to achieve the esteemed record. Fevicol A+ played an essential role in helping me create this idol as its superior adhesive properties meant I was able to work with not just paper, but also accessories with ease and speed. As a result, I got more time for the actual crafting. Paper quilling is an art the requires an immense amount of patience but using Fevicol A+ just made the whole process from start to finish so much easier.”

Pidilite Industries Ltd CEO, Consumer Products, Shantanu Bhanja said, “At Pidilite Industries, we are committed to unleashing creativity through art and craft. Creativity is more akin to a learned skill than an innate quality. On this auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, we aimed at giving the future generation of budding artists a platform to explore their creative side through the paper-quilling Ganesha Idol activity. At the same time, we also aimed at educating the children and spread awareness about sustainability and eco-friendly products which is the need of the hour.”

Ganesha Chaturthi is the celebration of the birth of Lord Ganapati on the fourth day during the Shukla Paksha in the Bhadrapada month according to the Hindu calendar. This date coincides with a day either in the English month of August or September. This year, it will be celebrated on September 13, according to the Gregorian calendar.

The festival, often referred to as Ganeshotsav is spread over 10 days in the state of Maharashtra. Not just Maharashtra, other states in the country too celebrate this joyous festival. Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated in Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala too.