Hyderabad:
For the past several years it is a Ganesha idol in Hyderabad that is crowned the tallest Ganesha in the country every Vinayaka Chaturthi. But this year is going to be different. Two Ganesh idols from Visakhapatnam have beaten the Hyderabad idol in the battle of sizes.
So, a 76-feet tall Ganesha statue made in Vizag, with soil brought from West Bengal, is India's tallest.
But what's a festival atmosphere without some friendly contest. A Ganesha idol, again in Vizag, came a close second at 70 feet. But unlike idols which are taken to the nearest water body for immersion, these two idols will not travel to the beach and will have to make do with fire engines doing the job by throwing water at them, 10 days from now.
"70 per cent water and 30 per cent milk and vermillion will be used for the immersion. We have used only water colours for this idol," said a devotee.
The Vizag Ganeshas have managed to dwarf the 50-feet-tall Hyderabad Ganesha, which till last year used to lord over everyone else in the country.
The tradition of making Ganesha here dates back to 1954; this year, the Rs 30 lakh worth idol is a shade more eco-friendly.
"We do not get into competing on the size of God. Every year, we increase the size by a couple of feet," said M Sudershan, one of the makers of Ganesha in Hyderabad.
Though the Hyderabad Ganesha has lost its USP of being the country's tallest, the makers say it is still the most elegant and regal of all Ganeshas. And in fact, after a gap of 30 years, the creators have made this Ganesha with five heads.