Young artist makes Lord Ganesha play shehnai like Bismillah

Varanasi, Aug 24 (UNI) Ever imagined Lord Ganesha bat like master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, play shehnai like Ustad Bismillah Khan or even perform the most difficult Yoga postures like Swami Ramdev.

A 28-year-old artist from the city considered to be the abode of Shiva has claimed to have fashioned 51,000 innovative Ganeshas -- in paintings, sketches, sculptures and statues.

Spanning from miniature Ganesha crafted out of rice, pulse, turmeric and marble to the 51-ft painting of the same god, Vijay Gour, a Fine Art graduate from Mahatama Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith University, Varanasi claims to have crafted 51,000 Ganesha's till date.

The artist hailing from the family of 'murtikars' (statue makers) in the city, started painting his 'Aradhya Dev' when he was only ten. The young artist now plans putting his creations in each of the 58 Ganesha temples dotting this city of temples.

''This Ganesh Utsav, starting from August 27, I will place my creations in each of 58 Vinayak temples of Kashi, that find mention in the religious scriptures,'' Vijay told UNI here today.

Presently, creating Ganesha from 'Rudraksha', Vijay has never stopped creating innovative Ganeshas, be it while travelling or while eating. ''Sleep is the only thing that intervenes in my tapasya for Ganesha,'' he maintained.

The unflinching committement to his deity has even made the artist famous as 'Ganeshji' in the Assi locality where he lives.

But, what has inspired Vijay to craft innovative Ganeshas. ''I have been inspired by everything from the strain of foodgrain to personalities like tabla virtuoso Pandit Kishan Maharaj, shehnai wizard Ustad Bismillah Khan, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar or Yoga guru Swami Ramdev,'' said Vijay, admitting that he enjoyed most, scribbling Ganesha while listening to live Tabla performance of Kishan Maharaj at a Durga temple in Varanasi.

Any specific targets that the Ganesha Bhakta artist has set for himself. ''Jab tak jeena hai ganeshji ke saath hi jeena hai,'' said Vijay.

UNI ARS VS SP ND1530