On Ganpati8217;s trail

Emphasising that it is not so much religious sentiment as much as aesthetic appeal that urges her to collect statues of Lord Ganesh, she does acknowledge a sense of faith, after all, 8220;the god does stand for knowledge and well-being.8221;

Knowing that Sardesai collects these idols, gifts to her have also often been the same. And an array adorns her home 8211; from Bali, Nagpur, Nepal, Mahabalipuram, Karwar, right down to Tulshibaug! In sandalwood, stone, glass, marble, brass, sandstone, soapstone, wood, ivory, jade and silver amongst other material. But her personal favourite is one made out of pink Jaipur marble and over a foot in height. 8220;There are a couple of artisans in Nagpur who work in Jaipur marble. These idols are painted and meant for temples. We got this one before it was painted,8221; and, in fact, in its natural hue of delicate pink lies its beauty. The same idol is also a favourite with her husband, Dr. H.V. Sardesai.

One set of six figurines in sandstone, depicting Ganesh playing various musical instruments, is another eye-catcher, as are the various tiny ones made in different precious materials like jade and crystal. A two-headed standing Ganpati, one in the Natraj dance pose and another in the form of Balkrishna, add to the variety of Sardesai8217;s collection. A set of two unique idols is carved in stone, one on the shiny Gaar stone, and another sculpted out of the basalt rock commonly found.

While many of these have been got from out of Pune, the city, too, has yielded its share of treasures 8211; like the brass bell rope with a dancing Ganpati as one of the links, which Sardesai dug out from Tulshibaug. Displayed right next to it is a wood panel depicting a series of four Ganpatis in unusual forms 8211; a three-headed one and another with Goddess Lakshmi.

Unusual, yes. Beautiful, definitely. And that is what Sardesai is always on the lookout for.