The clay seed Ganesha campaign, organised by Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava and Shree Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, in association with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Rotary Bangalore Parisara, claimed to have set a new Guinness World Record for ‘the most number of people sculpting with modelling clay simultaneously’ on Sunday at National College Grounds in Basavanagudi. Although the initial goal was set to create 10,000 Ganesha idols, only 3,308 idols could be created, making it to the records book.
“We are elated because we have broken our own record that we had created three years ago. We would like to do this more and more. We couldn’t reach our desired number, but I’m glad that we could set a new benchmark,” said Nandish Mariyappa, managing trustee of Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava.
The campaign saw over 3,000 people from various age groups and professions joining hands to sculpt their personal Ganesha idols. Idol-making materials such as clay, sculpting popsicle sticks, plant seeds, and water were provided at the venue. Many professional artist volunteers were also assisting participants. The live screening of the sculpting procedure by an artist was also organised. Seeds of plants such as tulsi, ashwagandha, sunflower and other flowering plants were provided for embedding within the idols. QR codes were also allocated to individual idols.
“We are so happy about the Guinness record. It’s a milestone for the KSPCB because we had planned to execute this systematically and create awareness about environmental pollution. We have all created our green Ganapa and seed Ganapa. This has been a success not only because of the record but also because of it being environment friendly,” said Shanth A. Thimmaiah, KSPCB Chairman.
While some among the volunteers were first-time idol-makers, for others it is an annual affair. “I have made something like this for the first time. Making a few parts of it was difficult like the trunk and the ears. But I enjoyed my time here,” said Tanvi Jain, a 13-year-old student. Suman Jayaprakash, a yoga instructor, said, “I have been making such idols for more than five years at home. I know the basics of idol-making but this is something new because so many people are involved in the process.”
The clay idols which were made can be planted in a pot post the festivities, which will then turn into plants. Apart from being environment-friendly, the campaign also aimed to provide a hands-on clay idol-making experience. “When you create something with your own hands and give so much love and affection to it, the experience stays with you for a very long time,” said Nagesh Sidhanti from Rotary Bangalore Parisara.
While the campaign has broken its previous record of creating 2,138 idols, the prediction for the same had already been made. “Before even the event started, we saw more than 3,000 people settling in. And from where I was sitting, I could see that they would exceed their previous score of 2,138. But then we had to wait for the other judges to count and know the actual number. But I knew that they would create a new record,” said Rishi Nath, an adjudicator from the Guinness World Records.
