By Anna Skinner
Kalpana Naik, a Fishers woman, will take part in an Indian festival come Sept. 17.
Ganesh Chaturthi, a festival coming to Hindu Temple in Central Indiana on German Church Road, honors the birthday of Lord Ganesh.
Naik will be attending the festival because of her talent in sculpting.
“I always had interest in different art forms. I tried and sculpted a small Ganesha for myself. I was able to beat my own expectations. I then started creating larger ones, and giving it to local associations, stores and even to the temple. People just loved it,” Naik said. “I have been sculpting now for over five years now. The largest Ganesha I have made is over four feet.”
Naik has experience in multiple art forms, and she is a fashion designer and has attending fashion shows in Indianapolis and Chicago. Some of her paintings are also displayed in local galleries.
A big part about the Ganesh festival is being eco-friendly. Naik explained that Ganesha idols are sold in stores and they do not dissolve in water, but pollute it instead.
Naik said the spirit of the festival is oftentimes lost in the commercialization of Ganesh, but that she aims to make all of her work good for the environment.
“I make 100 percent eco-friendly Ganesha from natural clay,” Naik said. “I use my bare hands to sculpt, paint and decorate the Ganesha. I can even make to custom order and decorate the sculpture per people’s request. When it is immersed in water it will dissolve very quickly, and fulfill the cause of the festival. Above all with my Ganesha you are serving mother earth by not polluting it.”
To learn more about the festival or the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana, visit www.htci.org.
