In Photo: From Cow Dung To Teak Wood, Ganesh Idols Take Shape Across India For Ganesh Chaturthi
Across India, preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi are underway, with artisans working on idols in different styles and materials. Hyderabad’s workshops show artists painting and making Ganesh idols, with children gathered around the figures and one child eating a snack while sitting on an unfinished idol. In Bikaner, artists prepare eco-friendly cow-dung idols. Amritsar artisans give final touches to their creations, while Kolkata’s Kumartuli remains busy with idol-making. In Bastar, an artisan finishes a teak-wood Ganesh idol. The scenes, captured between August 19 and 22, show the craft and activity surrounding preparations for the festival.
An artist prepares eco-friendly idols made of cow dung ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Bikaner, Rajasthan, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. | Photo: PTI
An artisan gives final touches to an idol of Lord Ganesh ahead of the 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival, in Amritsar, Punjab, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. | Photo: PTI/Shiva Sharma
An artisan gives final touches to an idol of Lord Ganesh ahead of the 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival, in Amritsar, Punjab, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. | Photo: PTI/Shiva Sharma
An artisan paints an idol of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh ahead of the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mahesh Kumar A.
An artisan prepares an idol of Lord Ganesh ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at Kumartuli, in Kolkata, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026. | Photo: PTI/Swapan Mahapatra
Children react to the camera while standing near idols of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh ahead of the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mahesh Kumar A.
An artist gives a finishing touch to an idol of Lord Ganesha carved from teak wood at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Bastar district, Chhattisgarh, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. | Photo: PTI
A child eats a snack while sitting on an idol of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh being prepared for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mahesh Kumar A.
An artisan makes an idol of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh ahead of the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. | Photo: AP/Mahesh Kumar A.
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