Kolkata Sweet Shop Crafts Giant 500 Kg Ladoo for Ganesh Chaturthi
The lively festival of ganesh chaturthi, which commenced on september 7, 2024, honors Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity revered for wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. In celebration, devotees across india place idols of Ganesha in their homes, seeking his blessings for success and the removal of obstacles. In Kolkata, West Bengal, a historic sweet shop made a grand gesture by preparing a massive 500 kg laddoo.
The enormous laddoo, decorated with an assortment of dry fruits like almonds, cashews, and figs, was featured in a video shared by news agency ANI. It was topped with kaju barfi and included a modak—a traditional treat favored by Lord Ganesha—along with a Ganesha statue crowning the creation. This impressive laddoo was crafted by a 140-year-old shop in Kolkata’s Bhawanipore area.
Priyanka Malik, the shop’s owner, told ANI, “Our festive season begins with Ganesh Chaturthi. This day is highly auspicious, and we aim to bring something new each year. Our shop, nearly 140 years old, has created this 500-kg laddoo as a special offering to Lord Ganesh.”
Ganesh Chaturthi is observed in diverse and innovative ways throughout India. While many devotees traditionally use clay or Plaster of paris (PoP) for their Ganesha idols, others are embracing more eco-friendly methods. In Karnataka, Jaalimane venkanna from Yellapur has spent 40 years collecting over 200 unique Ganesha idols, including a natural figure he discovered on a jackfruit root, which he continues to worship each festival.
In addition, the Shri Durga Foundation held a workshop in Koppalu, Karnataka, where high school students learned to create eco-friendly clay Ganesha idols embedded with seeds. These green idols, which grow into plants after immersion, highlight the growing trend towards sustainability during Ganesh Chaturthi.
The ganesh chaturthi festival will conclude on september 17, 2024, with the immersion of idols in water bodies, marking the end of the ten-day celebration.