Pune: To turn raw clay into a complete idol, sculptor Anand Bhamburkar retraces the path first laid down by Pen village’s Deodhar sculptor family in Raigad district nearly 140 years ago.“A colour binder and cotton rubbing are used with natural ingredients like gum sourced from the Babul tree,” says Bhamburkar, who is also a full-time accountant and runs Tejomay Kala Mandir in Sadashiv Peth, which organises idol-painting workshops across Pune city.As the city gears up for Ganesh Chaturthi, the distinct craft of painting shadu mati Ganapati idols unfolds through hand-mixed natural pigments, cotton burnishing and linseed-oil glazing, techniques that yield a soft, velvety finish impossible to replicate on the hard, non-porous surface of PoP idols.Bhamburkar says sculptor Anand Deodhar of Prabhat Kala Mandir became the pioneer of this practice of traditional idol-making nearly 140 years ago.Back then, artisans would use ‘safeda’ or China white to prepare body colours themselves. “This, along with orange pigments and natural gum, was mixed in precise proportions, which still fascinates me,” Bhamburkar recalls. Today, he mixes these natural bases to create his own shades, balancing tradition with the range modern colours offer.What sets clay-idol painting apart is the process. “Once the base body colour is laid, one must rub this idol with cotton cloth, which gives it the shine,” Bhamburkar explains. This step, using soft ‘malmal’ cloth to burnish the safeda base, is crucial for achieving the characteristic glaze. Next comes dry-powdered pigment to highlight body parts, followed by a distinctive treatment for the idol’s clothes.“We apply linseed oil in the idol’s folds, followed by dry powdered pigments and fluorescent colours, which makes the idols unique,” he says.The oil sinks into the porous clay, creating depth in the drapery while the powdered pigments sit lightly on the surface, producing a soft, cloth-like texture. Workshops now introduce even schoolchildren to the craft. “In schools, we host workshops to teach young students how to paint the idol in one colour. The idea is to let people experience the process,” Bhamburkar says.Preserving the age-old tradition of painting idols is important, he says. “Unless the new generation participates, the art form will not survive and will be a lost legacy. This practice is not just comparatively eco-friendly but also helps sustain the livelihood of artisans.”For sculptors, an idol’s eyes are the most demanding. “As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that the idol has a soft yet God-like expression in its eyes and overall facial expression, while preserving the idol’s traditional look,” says Soham Dhokte, a Pune-based portrait artist and sculptor. “Achieving that bhav (the divine expression) requires subtlety in brushwork and an understanding of how natural colours settle into clay,” he says.Abhijeet Dhondphale, a city-based sculptor who has been promoting eco-friendly shadu mati idols for 25 years and also hosts workshops on idol making and painting, talks of the artistic joy of creation. “People receive utmost joy when they paint their own idols, as there is a connection that is established between the idol and the one making it.”“In our workshops, we teach people to use different water colours and elements like fevicryl and golden powder for painting different body parts, including the golden ornaments. However, the most important thing while painting is to devote one’s full concentration without any distraction,” Dhondphale adds.
