From huge pandals to a pencil tip: Surat's smallest Ganesha idol steals show

Amid the grand celebration of Ganeshotsav in Gujarat, where the idols and pandals hog all the limelight, a unique creation in Surat has become the talk of the town. Artist Patel Mayank Dineshbhai made a Lord Ganesha idol on the tip of a pencil, which is said to be the smallest Ganesha idol in Surat.

The creation has become a talking point during the Ganeshotsav festival. (X/ANI)The minuscule Ganesha idol made by Mayank Patel may seem difficult to notice, but the effort he put in is visible through the intricate detailing on the small sculpture.

The interesting creation has become a talking point during the Ganeshotsav festival as it stands out to be in sharp contrast with the large idols being set up in the state for the festival. According to reports, the idea to make a Ganesha idol did not come to Mayank straight away as he started working on it.

About two years ago, the Surat-based artist started experimenting with making alphabets on the tip of a pencil and later got the idea to make an idol of Lord Ganesha. Mayank revealed that it took him five days to complete the minuscule 6 mm idol.

He also shared that patience was the key to bring out the intricate detailing on the tiny creation. Working on the pencil tip needed a lot of patience as even a small mistake would ruin the whole creation, unlike regular sculpture-making, where the sculptor has the liberty to carve out the desired figure.

Miniature work has become more fascinating as the entire idol is barely visible to the naked eye. Making the minuscule Ganesha idol was one thing, but for Mayank, the real test was yet to come. He shared that after worshipping the tiny idol, he would be submerging the entire pencil on which the idol was made in the water during the Visarjan.

As Gujarat comes alive with music and dance and large-scale celebrations across the state, Mayank's creation serves as a perfect example of devotion in the tiniest form possible. Ashka Singh is an undergraduate student of English Literature at Miranda House, University of Delhi, with an interest in the spaces between what is said and what is felt, and in the stories that acquire new meanings through different eyes.

A recipient of national-level recognition from the Government of India, she has also been recognised twice for writing at the Amity Literary Meet. Her writing moves between the intimate and the social, often returning to questions of patriarchy, womanhood, relationships, and the invisible structures that shape life.

Alongside her practice, she works with the editorial team of the Miranda House Students’ Union and leads content for AAVYA, the Animal Welfare Society of Miranda House. She finds herself most at home in poetry. This sensibility extends to her interest in cinema, psychology, music, and the layered aesthetics of Indian cultural traditions.

She has a fondness for the unhurried beauty of ghazals, the cadence of shayari, and the lingering soul of a qawwali. Beyond the newsroom, she is likely to be found in the company of animals, particularly dogs - an affection she considers far less complicated than most human affairs.

For Ashka, to write is to notice, to feel, and to remain truthful to both.Read More