Diff-FOMA 2022 is an excellent source of learning and I did learn many new things! Well, first what is Diff- FOMA? Well, Diff-FOMA = is a collection of Lord Ganeshas in Different FOrms and MAterials and this year Diff-FOMA has almost crossed 1000 Lord Ganeshas in different forms and materials. Let me give you more details:
My dad has been collecting Lord Ganeshas in different forms and materials since 2001. Every year during the Ganesh Chathurthi my father displays the collections and invites friends, relatives, neighbors, and well-wishers. I have been helping him with the collection and the display, and detailing the same to the visitors. In this process, I have learned many things and here I’m sharing a few:
1) I got to know that Lord Ganesha is not only worshipped in India but also in foreign countries like Nepal, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. In the collections, I came across Lord Ganesha slaying a dragon made in China, a Lord Ganesha door knocker made in Indonesia, and other such items made overseas. I also saw that the Government of Nepal has issued stamps on Lord Ganesha and that the Government of Indonesia has issued currency notes with Lord Ganesha in them.
2) I got to add one more Lord Ganesha to his collection. This year, I created an idol that was made out of Lego-type Blocks. This re-usable Lord Ganesha is made up of 800 pieces and it took more than 8 hours to complete. Last year, I created an idol that was made out of eco-friendly paper (recycled and reusable). I am glad to see that Lord Ganesha is now being made of eco-friendly materials.
3) Well, that would bring us to the varied materials that are part of the display at DIff-FOMA. We have Lord Ganeshas made out of many materials:
a) Natural materials – We have idols of Lord Ganesha made out of cereals, chalk powder, clay, cotton, cow dung, nuts, precious and semi-precious stones, wood, (including one in bamboo root), etc
b) Man-made/Synthetic materials – We have idols of Lord Ganesha made out of metal (Brass, Bronze, Gold, Iron, Silver), plastic, resin, etc. Lord Ganeshas made out of poly-resin are quite colorful when compared to others. One such attractive Lord Ganesha made out of poly-resin is a set of 3 Lord Ganeshas modeled on Amitabh Bachchan’s movie Amar Akbar Anthony.
c) Semi-Precious stones -We have idols of Lord Ganesha made out of Semi-Precious stones like agate, amethyst, aquamarine, garnet, lapis lazuli, moonstone, opal, pearl, peridot, rose quartz, spinel, tanzanite, tourmaline, turquoise, and zircon.
If you too would like to know more and see them in person, please do come to 442, 10th Cross, 6th Block, Nagarbhavi 2nd Stage (Near Orchids - The International School, Nagarbhavi), between 2:30 pm and 10:00 pm until Sep 4th, 2022.
Bye for now.