What is the secret behind draping dhoti for Khetwadicha Raja?

KhetwadichaRaja 12th lane. Pic/Manjeet Thakur

The Ganpati fervour has caught the city. The air smells different, the streets look different as chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya' can be heard everywhere. At this time, all we hope for when we are on the roads is to catch a glimpse of the huge Ganesh idols and get spellbound with the magnificence. The idols of Ganesha during Ganpati 2019 are a visual treat for all of us. The effort that goes behind the look of the Ganpati is not just of the 'murtikaar' but also of the clothing artist.

Clothing artist Prakash Lahane started his journey 12 years ago with Khetwadicharaja being his first-ever Ganpati who he designed and draped the Dhoti for. "After I started draping the dhoti for Khetwadicha Raja, I started getting work for all the big Ganpati mandals and people started recognising me."

Prakash who works for nearly 17-18 Ganesh mandals in a day drapes dhoti for mandals like Chinchpoklicha Chintamani, GirgaonkaMaharaja, Girgaonkaraja, Lambodar, Icchhapurti Ganpati in Fort and more.

Clothing artist Prakash Lahane

When asked about the little things which are to be taken care of while draping the Dhoti on the Ganpati, Prakash says, "The first thing I see is the posture in which the Ganesha is. I sit in the same pose at home and drape a Dhoti to understand what goes where and how the cloth will fall accordingly. The fall of the dhoti depends on the weight of the cloth as well." Prakash also takes inspiration from old movies and old pictures of Ganpati in order to see how the draping has been done and tries to renovate the look. He added, "I also go back to old movies or old pictures of Ganpati to study how the draping has been done."

Also read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: Mumbaikars welcome Ganesha as first-look of Khetwadicha Raja unveiled

Prakash changes nearly 17-18 dhotis of Ganeshas in a day during the ten days of the Ganpati festival, often changing it twice or thrice for many mandals. "I am barely able to sleep for one or two hours during the festival as I busy with changing dhotis of Ganesha idols for nearly 20-22 hours in a day," he adds.

After 12 years of practice, Prakash proudly says that he can complete the task in less than 20 minutes.

Also Read: Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: Your guide to Khetwadi Cha Raja pandal in Mumbai

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