A third generation murtikar and probably one of the first in her family, Manaswi Bagwe, a self-taught sculptor, is quietly pushing the boundaries of idol-making.
While most children her age were busy playing with toys, Manaswi Bagwe grew up watching her father and uncles mould clay and bring Bappa to life in their humble 10 x 10 square foot home in Lalbaug, south central Mumbai.
"When I was young, my uncle Sadanand would make me sit next to him and give me small tasks -- to make the hands, the trunk of Lord Ganpati.
"As a kid, I used to be restless and sometimes bored. But my uncle ensured that he taught me the basics, the techniques, how to get the perfect shape, the perfect pose.
"No one in my family studied art or went to a design school. But everyone was blessed with a special skill.
"For me, all those experiences naturally and gradually shaped my love for and knowledge about for Bappa," Manaswi tells Rediff's Divya Nair.
"I grew up watching men climbing trolleys and working on high structures at the workshop. And I used to think, why are there no females doing this? That thought stayed somewhere in my mind.
"My mother taught me how to paint the intricate details of Bappa -- like the dhoti and jewellery. She used to encourage me a lot. Unfortunately, she passed away six months ago."
The 31 year old decided to finally quit her job as a corporate lawyer at an MNC, after four years at the Bombay high court and four years in corporate law, to pursue her love for art full-time.
And one of the first and biggest idols she completed this year is the Ghatkoparcha Raja -- a 17 foot hydraulic trolley Ganpati which can go up to 25 feet.
How Manaswi Designed Ghatkoparcha Raja
The challenge was to create a 25 foot idol, she says. "Our workshop is in Lalbaug and for it to be delivered to Ghatkopar (north east Mumbai), it had to pass through three bridges where the height restriction is around 17 to 18 feet."
Manaswi conceptualised the design in April and the execution took around one-and-a-half to two months, she says.
"The 17 to 18 foot idol has been designed with a hydraulic system. While crossing the bridges, the idol and prabhaval (the ornate, arch-like backdrop) can be lowered. Once the bridge is crossed, a pulley system raises it again, taking the total height to more than 25 feet," Manaswi says.
"The theme is Pashupatinath, an avatar of Lord Shiva, with elements of animals and Prakriti Devi incorporated into the design. The murti is made of POP (plaster of Paris) while the prabhaval and sinhasan (throne) are made of fibre. It is my first trolley Ganpati since I took the decision to quit law and take this up full time. It's the biggest and most challenging Ganpati I have made."
Four years ago, Manaswi shipped a 22 foot idol to Australia, a first-of-its-kind project.
"In 2022, this family, who had previously ordered an murti in 2016, trusted me with the responsibility of designing a 22 foot murti that can be dismantled and assembled easily at home.
"The challenge for us was that the height of a cargo ship is eight to 10 feet.
"So we created an IKEA-style model using fibre glass where the legs, hands and torso of the idol could be dismantled and put together using screws and bolts.
"We sent them a list of instructions along with a video and the family was able to put it together easily. Since the murti is made of fibre glass, it is highly durable and can be reused for years," she says.
Joining A Legacy That Began In 1938
Bagwe Arts was started by Manaswi's grandfather Balkrishna Bagwe around 1938.
"He used to make small gharguti (for the home) Ganesh idols at home," she recalls.
Her grandfather passed the craft to his three sons -- Shashikant, the eldest; Manohar, Manaswi's father; Sadanand, her youngest uncle.
The family gradually moved from making small household idols to taking orders from sarvajanik (public) mandals.
The family's journey took a significant turn in 1990, when Bagwe Arts received its first Lalbaugcha Raja order. The family continued creating the idol until 1996.
From 2003 to 2010, they created idols for Ganesh Galli. In 2010, their idol was listed among the best in the city; coincidentally, the same year, the mandal came to be known as Mumbaicha Raja.
In 2013, they created Dongricha Raja and won the prize for the best idol that year.
'Everyone In My Family Is Self-Taught'
"My father studied history and Sanskrit. No one in my family went to a design school," says Manaswi. "But, in my home, you will find a lot of books on architecture and sculpting."
Watching her family come together to carry forward their grandfather's legacy, Manaswi dreamt of becoming a murtikar (sculptor) herself.
"There was a small dream in my heart. But I had an inferiority complex about whether I would be able to do it or not. Still, I kept going."
Eventually, when she found it difficult to balance both worlds, she decided to prioritise.
"Being an artist, it would not be fair to me if I didn't give this 100 per cent of my time and energy. I would always feel that I had done injustice to my inner artist."
Her mother's encouragement helped her make the final decision.
Manaswi believes she is among the few women in Mumbai to have learnt the entire process of idol-making herself.
"I do the sketches myself. I make sketches of the welding, how to weld, how to balance... till the eyes are painted, I do everything."
"I was sure of one thing: I don't want to carry this legacy forward just as a business. I wanted to carry it forward with my own hands."
When Creativity Meets Tradition
With the rise of technology, Manaswi admits she is learning to adapt and incorporate new elements of design while keeping the tradition and legacy alive.
The Bagwe family uses a traditional technique passed down through generations to keep their idols hollow and lighter to lift.
Though traditionally shaadu mati (natural, eco-friendly clay) idols are less than five feet tall, Manaswi recalls working on a seven-foot Ganpati made entirely in clay inspired by a temple in Halebidu, Karnataka; it took her around 15 to 20 days because she worked on it after office hours and on weekends.
Lessons From Three Generations Of Murtikars
Manaswi never met her grandfather but his reputation as an artist has lived on through family stories.
"I used to listen to how he used to move like magic, in a flow, when he worked on clay."
Her uncle Sadanand taught her the fundamentals of clay work, including how to shape the trunk and position the hand mudras.
Her father taught her the technical and anatomical aspects of idol-making. A lover of art, history and archaeology, he travelled extensively across India and took Manaswi to places such as the Ellora Caves, Gharapuri Caves, Elephanta Caves, Hampi and Khajuraho.
"He made me understand how art was created in that era -- how the sculptures were made, the anatomical aspect of them and how the standing posture was created."
His biggest lesson was to never stop learning.
"Even today -- he is almost 68 or 69 years old -- but he keeps learning."
Keeping the craft financially viable
For generations, Bagwe Arts has maintained relationships with families who have returned to them year after year.
"The same families who used to take Ganpati murtis from my grandfather are still taking them from me."
Some of these relationships go back over 70 or 80 years.
"Earlier, Ganeshotsav wasn't a commercial festival. Families who placed orders would repay with coconuts or with donations as less as Rs 11 or whatever they could afford at the time.
"None of the murtikars demanded any money. In fact, they would ensure that every home was able to welcome Ganpati.
"There was a time when artistes discouraged their children from pursuing this art form and the tradition began to fade with the next generation."
Over the years, the business, she says, has become slightly financially viable, although its seasonal nature remains a challenge.
A three to five foot idol can cost between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000, while larger and more elaborate commissions can run into lakhs. The highest order Bagwe Arts has received so far has been worth around Rs 6.5 lakh.
This year, the workshop has made around 150 small Ganpatis, seven to eight medium-sized murtis and one big Ganpati (Ghatkoparcha Raja).
When he is not at the workshop, Manaswi's father travels across India for work. "During the shoot of Bahubaali, he used to stay at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. He has even helped design a mall in Kolkata. He is always working on something. He is rarely at home," she says, while explaining how Ganesha murti makers keep themselves busy throughout the year.
The demand for eco-friendly idols
Manaswi has noticed a shift in what younger families want.
"With the younger generation taking over, they are trying to convince their parents to opt for environmentally friendly options.
"Shaadu mati is more labour intensive than POP," she explains. "I can make five to 10 POP murtis in a day, while one shaadu mati murti can take one-and-a-half to two days.
"The amount of time, effort and finances that go into a shaadu mati Ganpati is a little more than POP."
At the same time, customers are becoming more experimental.
This year, she has even had customers bring in ChatGPT-generated images as references.
An Entire Family Behind The Artist
Today, Manaswi might be the first female murtikar of her generation to take the legacy forward. But the journey, she confesses, is not hers alone.
Her uncle Sadanand has also taught her painting and welding while her mother taught her basic painting when she was a child.
Her elder sister Prafula continues to help with painting and management while her cousin Amol looks after the administrative work.
"Being in a family that loves art, it's not like you learn one thing from one person only. There are small, small things that you learn from everyone. Even though I am the third generation in the Bagwe family, it also includes my sister Prafula and my brother Amol among others. And they are all helping me."
Making space for more women
Today, around 15 to 20 people work at the workshop, out of which 10 are her family members.
Manaswi is particularly keen to make the space more welcoming for women.
"We have four to five girls working with us right now. I am trying to make a comfortable environment so that women can also come and work.
"One young woman has been coming to the workshop for three years, learning clay work while managing another job," says Manaswi, who also conducts clay modelling and painting workshops throughout the year.
"Knowing any form of art is a blessing from God.
"Neither my family nor I chose this art for money.
"If you are willing to learn and work hard with an open mind, projects will follow," says the artist and entrepreneur who already has several orders lined up, including designing a massive mural of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
