She has sculpted 2.5L idols, some blindfolded – The Times of India

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/She-has-sculpted-2-5L-idols-some-blindfolded/articleshow/22534974.cms?prtpage=1

MUMBAI: As a child, Rama Shah used to roll out close to 60 chapatis within an hour . This, she didn’t know at the time , was a preordained rehearsal for her calling that would come years later .

Then, one night in March 2000, the Sion resident saw a vision of her favourite God, Lord Ganesha, reclining majestically on a cushion . Desperate to immortalize this dream, the Jain housewife decided to create a Ganesha idol during her handicraft class. Today, within the span of those 60 chapatis of her childhood, her deft hands churn out over 180 idols, even when her eyes are shut.

In the past 13 years, she has created over 2.5 lakh Ganesha idols. Every night since her dream, the 52-year-old homemaker has been locking herself up in her bedroom, preparing idols while listening to Navkar mantra and chanting to herself. “It is a form of meditation for me,” adds Shah who uses only her fingers, an empty ball pen refill and her imagination to shape the idols. She paints on the details the next day.

Over the years, her meditative hobby has spawned several national and international records such as the one she received for preparing 9,999 idols in 99 days in 2000 to her recent attempt at creating 999 idols in 24hours. Shah alsoholdsshows where people watch her create idols blindfolded. Comments such as “I could feel the positive vibrations in your house” adorn the 20-odd guestbooks in the living room of Shah, whose album boasts everyone from Raj Thackeray to Shah Rukh Khan receiving an idol.

, TNN | Sep 13, 2013, 07.31 AM IST

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