As the independent India was born in 1947, Ramkrishna Khatu started making small Ganesh idols for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai. I have heard stories that my grandfather thought let’s start sculpting idols for the common people and take it to their households,” shares 30-year-old Nikhil Rajan Khatu, who is now the third generation taking the business forward. “The main motive behind it was to make the festival sarvajanik, for everyone.
That was Lokmanya Tilak’s vision so that people unite and they build a community.
What started as making small clay idols for households in Mumbai , was expanded by Nikhil’s father Rajan Khatu into Kalasagar Arts as he started making large idols of nine feet and above. “It’s been six years now and the market has been growing every year. I see a lot of people from the young generation getting into the festival and trying to increase the scale of celebrations, especially with the reach of social media. Some of the most renowned places that they supply idols include Parel Cha Raja for the past nine years, Fort Cha Raja for the last decade, Andheri Cha Rja, Ballaleshwar cha raja, Gandhi Chowk, Mazgaon Cha Morya, among others. “We make idols based on themes but by preserving the main original look of Ganpati. Yet, it’s good to give out a message through a theme, like this year Fort Cha Raja’s theme is Karni Mata temple, Mazgaon Cha Raja was based on Radha-Krishna’s love, and Parel Cha Raja’s theme is Lord Vitthal,” he shares.
The sizes went on to grow to 20-24 feet, and Nikhil took over the company’s reign after his father’s passing in 2020. As they complete 80 years, the Khatu family is one of the most renowned names in the industry today. I started during the COVID with 30-35 orders of idols, and this year we have over 95 idols going to all over Maharashtra and even Surat,” shares Nikhil, who now employs over 50 artists and craftsman under him. Nikhil informs that it takes 8-10 days to complete an idol and work goes on subsequently on multiple idols.
It is becoming a community of its own.”
The whole idol making industry is turning into a family business and Nikhil says, “Earlier, there were very few families into this field but now the young generation is trying to take forward their family’s legacy, with many new youngsters also starting out in it.
