Ganga soil ferried from Kolkata to make idols

HUBLI: A Ganesha idol made with holy soil should be a surefire hit with devotees, and Appu Pal, artist from Krishnanagar district of West Bengal, is cashing in on this. His idols are made with soil from the Ganga river.
Pal claims he brings the holy soil from Kolkata and Krishnanagar to Hubli, months before the Ganesha festival, and uses it to design idols.
These are in great demand in the city and the surrounding districts, he says.
Appu Pal told TOI, “Apart from the water (Ganga jal), the soil is also considered holy. I brought about 3 tonnes of soil from the Ganga in trucks. Many people are opting for such Ganesha idols, and associations from Guntakal, Bellary, Haveri, Uttara Kannada districts and Hubli-Dharwad twin cities are our regular customers.”
Pal has been involved in this business from the past 21 years. He comes to Hubli from West Bengal around four months before the festival, and makes 60-70 idols with his team of 15 artisans every year. Usually, orders for big idols are given in advance. The artisans mix 25% Ganga soil with 75% local black soil.
Sri Gajanan Yuvaka Mandala of Madiwal Nagar buys idols from Appu Pal every year. Chintamani S Patil, president of the Mandala said, “The idols are designed well, and also made with holy soil, so our Mandala prefers these Ganeshas.”