Mangaluru: Every year, as Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, members of a Mangaluru family return home from across the world, ‘not only to celebrate the festival, but also to keep alive a nearly century-old tradition of making Ganesha idols.The family of late Mohan Rao of Mannagudda has been making idols for the past 97 years. Today, his family members living in London, the United States, Dubai, Bengaluru and other parts of the world come together during the festival season to make and paint the idols, ensuring that the craft is passed on to the next generation.Ramachandra Rao,77, the youngest son of Mohan Rao, said the family had made 256 idols this year.His father began the tradition by making around 25 to 30 small idols. Over the years, production increased to nearly 260 idols, but the family has limited the number due to time and space constraints.The family receives orders from several public Ganesh celebrations, including those at Sanghaniketan, Kulshekar, Karangalpady, Police Lines, New Mangalore Port Authority and KIOCL. Around 20 public celebrations are regular customers, besides the many idols made for homes, Ramachandra said.For the family, however, idol-making is about more than fulfilling orders. It is an annual reunion that brings together members of different generations.Ramachandra Rao said his daughter, a doctor based in London, takes 15 days’ leave every year to return to Mangaluru and help with the idol-making work. Around 20 to 25 members of the extended family participate in the work every year.“My brothers’ children, my sister’s children and everyone joins us. We may be living in different places because of our jobs, but during this time, we all come together as a family,” he said.Mohan Rao learnt the specialised craft of handling natural clay and making Ganesha idols in Mumbai before bringing the tradition to Mangaluru. The practice has now entered its fifth generation.The work is currently led by Mohan Rao’s sons, Sudhakar Rao and Ramachandra Rao. His grandson Mahesh Rao said family members, despite having their own professions, made it a point to return every year to participate in the idol-making.Mahesh’s wife, Suma Rao, said she was unfamiliar with the craft when she joined the family, but gradually learnt it from her father-in-law.“I feel happy to be part of a tradition that the family has preserved and carried forward,” she said.Suma added that the tradition had continued through generations, with grandchildren and descendants of Mohan Rao’s sons and daughter joining the family’s idol-making efforts during the festival season.
