Making anything is therapy you're so close to God
Don't inherit the earth from our ancestors
we only borrow it from our future generation from our children
Creating something is, I feel it's a very maternal feeling
When a mother carries her baby for nine months it's actually a maternal feeling
to create and
see your own work in front of you
Hi everyone this is Avinash Lohana and you're watching Pinkvilla
My favourite time of the year is officially here
as we are all gearing up to welcome our beloved Ganapati Bappa into our homes
And today we have with us Raqesh Bapat who's going to teach us
How to make an eco-friendly Ganesha right in your homes
Raqesh, firstly, thank you for doing this with us
even before the interview, we were discussing this is such a noble job
So congratulations, for taking this up
Thank you so much
So I'm really excited to start this so let's start with unboxing first
and you tell us you know the process and of course we'll keep talking along the way
Now you have to show me what to do
Of course, I will I'm excited to show you
Let's do it! Let's start with the process!
So this basically, in Marathi it is known 'Paat' [wooden board]
on which we will create the process of making the Ganapati
This also made from organic material
completely,
you can recycle it or it's biodegradable so
here we have the first box where
I'll show you
These are the organic colours Okay!
So those are different pouches there
Yeah there are colours inside them so be careful
so it's loose colours, so they are powders
So basically you mix the consistency , you mix water in it
add a little bit of glue to it to get the consistency well
so we have paint brushes for you
and that too, paint brushes for different purposes for detailing and for the normal use
Then we have a sculpting tool
Oh wow!
So that's basically used for getting in to the crevices and trying to
take out the extra mud
and this is also organic?
Yeah this is also organic wow, okay! [Avinash]
And this is the special stamp stamp for the eyes, so
so yeah this is what this box has and now this is magic which is
Now this is the clay
which is already pre-mixed
you just have to open the packet
and start making your Ganapati
Because I've been using this for years
and again this plastic is made out of
the plant starch so it's also
it's not really plastic as such
So you remember the first time you made your eco-friendly Ganesha?
What was your age?
I think I was...
in my 6th or 7th standard
So early? Yeah so early [Raqesh]
So since then, and that also I learnt in a very different way
So let's start! Yeah absolutely! [Avinash]
Ganapati Bappa Maurya!
Come on! Let's do it!
So basically we just have to place a blob in the middle
This is the stomach and the chest part and now we make the-
So now we just have to take round circles likes balls
small balls
make small balls
and then you start playing with it
So now this becomes the head, suppose
Okay? Yeah
These will become the ears
So now if you see I've made the basic of
the stomach, now the legs will come later but let's start with the upper body
so that we get the proportion right.
So in the meanwhile, you can tell me you started it
when you were in 6th or 7th standard
I started see, my mom used to go to
for her morning walks and she went and she saw
this guy who sculpts and paints in a small temple
which is by the foothills you know my dad was in the army
so that's the place where you know
the back of our house had these hills these beautiful hills
there was this Swayambhu Temple there, Datta Maharaj's
So there, Kelkar Kaka
I fondly called him Kelkar kaka
He is my Guru actually
He's the one who taught me not taught me
Actually, I was very scared and intimidated by him
I used to rush back from school and leave everything
because my mom said, she knew I was creative so she said
"Why don't you go and explore and see what this guy does?"
because he's really brilliant
So I used to go to school and after that I used to go to him
I didn't even speak to him I just observed him
And I learned by observing him that this is how it is done
And then just return home silently, I didn't disturb him
Because I didn't want to disturb him
I realise that when you are a creative person you don't like to be disturbed
Because that's a process, you know it's a very Godly process
it's something that connects you to the universe
and in turn, it heals you so I didn't want-
I realised that he shouldn't be disturbed or anything of that sort
so you should just observe him and learn from him
and then repeat the process later Correct
So it was, yes it was simple
but it was not simple, it was difficult for me to understand how it happens
but eventually I managed
that okay I can do something with it
So you're making the crown now?
No so now see this I've made is the chest
and now i wanted to
now again the idea, I thought this would be the head
but then I realised when i put the legs here
these are the thighs correct
so when I put the legs here,
now I realise the proportion is getting- no, I can't have the head here
so it has to be a balanced-
there's going to be the stomach, there the chest and then this head will come
so yeah it is something which
okay now,
yeah so we can see the structure there yeah.
and even while talking to you we are making it
I can tell you Raqesh, I am feeling so good
while doing this at this point in time see you always-[Raqesh]
See I'm telling you
Making anything is therapy you're so close to god
you're so in tune with what you
you know you're creating, so now you see the form is coming up
you know basic
very cute,
so keep making, keep adding balls to it
small small balls of clay
and then you basically get the form first
and then you get into the finishing of it
you mentioned you were teaching people last year I was speaking to
Rithvik Dhanjani and he told me you have taught him also
who else you've taught in the business?
Oh I think Karan Wahi I've taught
I have taught Tejaswi Prakash and then I've taught I think
I think very few people from the industry, I have taught
I think everybody's so busy with their daily soaps or work
they didn't find the time to actually come and do it but I
whoever wanted to come and wanted to-
I was lucky that I could teach somebody
so these were the people, they were like ardent students of mine
and these are small steps right, that we are taking to make the
the world better for people after us
Yes.
That's what it says that you don't inherit the earth from our ancestors
we borrow it from our future generation from our children
well said! yeah
so it is as simple as that we- that's why we can't take things for granted
because we have to pass on this earth to our future generation
so it's like be careful in your actions guys so that's the only thing
okay now you can see the structure,
the ears are coming up
How much time does it take to dry?
it takes a while, it takes about a day or two
but you have to keep it in an airy place only then it'll dry properly
If you have respect for art then like
I mean we are sitting and the idol has just come to life
yeah so this is what basically
you have to keep adding things to it so that you get a proper structure
A proper structure of it
So then you apply water to smoothen it out
sure, overall how many days does it take to make it
two to three days I suppose
Yeah
With the colour and everything
with the colour and everything
okay now let's do the
so we are giving it some kind of shaping here
yeah okay
see this is the process, this is what you get so
I agree. you get lost in time [Raqesh]
you get lost in time
it's you know creating something is I feel it's a very maternal feeling
The feeling that a mother has when she carries her baby for 9 months in her womb
It's actually a maternal feeling to create and
see your own work in front of you I agree [Avinash]
So now this is Ganapati Ji's right hand
so you have to attach a thumb to it
oh so you make the thumb separately
so I make these thumbs separately
and you attach the thumb here
so on this he'll holding the sweet so it'll be like this
there has to be space for laddu of course
yeah it's Ganapati Bappa he's incomplete without laddu
he'll get angry
Now we go into the fingers
so the finger thing is
you draw lines right?
Okay
Now let's quickly make the eyes,
so we have a tool which enables you to make the eye
Yeah
Now let's make a 'modak' for him
wow, so our basic structure is ready now
and it looks phenomenal Raqesh, you're truly a gifted artist
before we let you go I want to ask you any message you have for this
Ganapati season, for everyone out there
for everyone out there I mean as I said
to create something we don't need to destroy
it is just, we should really know what
the difference between our wants and our needs
if we understand that we can protect the earth and
we can protect our environment, not just for us but for our future generation as well
so let's start small guys and just
and with this Ganapati Bappa Maurya
we have to may God bless us and
gives us 'sadbuddhi' [gumption] to keep our environment clean and happy
and let's pray for a better living for the future
And wishing you Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to you much well in advance
Thank you
Thank you Thank you so much Raqesh
Ganapati Bappa Morya
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