The atmosphere of Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai is truly infectious. It’s a time of joy and celebration as people welcome Ganapati Bappa into their homes, an experience that must be lived to be fully appreciated.
The weeks and months leading up to the festival are a whirlwind of activity for mandals, devotees, decorators, and everyone involved in welcoming the beloved elephant-headed god. Every street bustles with energy as people work on creating intricate decoration themes.
Lalbaug, in particular — home to the iconic Lalbaugcha Raja, one of the city’s largest Ganesha idols — draws lakhs of visitors and is truly a sight to behold.
For Sandesh Shankar Gaonkar, who grew up in this vibrant neighbourhood, the festival has been a defining part of his life. Spending much of his childhood at Ganapati mandals and among idol and decor artisans, Sandesh learned the art of painting and decoration — skills that shaped him into who he is today.
“I learnt my kala (art) there,” he says. It ignited the artist within him, setting him on the path to pursue a career in the arts.
It’s no surprise that Sandesh launched Thane-based ‘Sarvangi Arts’ — a decoration business specialising in eco-friendly, reusable makhars (decorations) for Ganesha. For the past seven years, his creations have honoured Maharashtrian heritage while promoting sustainability. His makhar decorations, available in 10 designs, are crafted from traditional sarees like Ilkal and Paithani.
In a time when convenience is key, the entire setup can be assembled in under five minutes! This year, Sandesh’s collection has already sold out, with customers from around the world.
Here’s what sets Sarvangi Arts apart.
Celebrating Maharashtrian heritage
With over 12 years of experience as a commercial artist in an ad agency, 38-year-old Sandesh now works as a design head in a corporate role. The idea for his business took root about seven years ago when the Maharashtra Government banned single-use plastic and thermocol.
Thermocol decorations, widely used in pandals during the 10-day festival, sparked a public outcry as they contribute to environmental pollution, clogging water bodies and endangering marine life. While many lamented the impact on their livelihood, Sandesh began exploring eco-friendly alternatives that would avoid harming the environment.
“The ban highlighted the need for an eco-friendly alternative. There weren’t many options in the market then, and the available alternatives, like decor with real flowers, were very expensive. I kept thinking about the different eco-friendly materials that could be used,” Sandesh tells The Better India.
The quintessential ‘aha’ moment came from an unexpected source — a TV serial. While watching Swarajyarakshak Sambhaji, a show about Sambhaji, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Sandesh was struck by inspiration. The vibrant, colourful sarees worn by the women during the Maratha era caught his attention, and an idea began to take shape.
Could he create decorations using these traditional sarees that would not only honour Maratha culture but also help protect the environment?
The answer was a resounding yes.
So the artist went back to his roots to create stunning makhar using Paithani and Ilkal sarees. He bought some sarees and used calligraphy to create beautiful prints on them. He also unleashed his creativity to make a new design called the Paithani Pankha, wherein he created a backdrop using the Paithani saree, shaped like a circle.
Making this out of his house in the first year, he successfully sold all 28 designs that he made.
“I can make four makhar using one saree and I remember doing it with seven sarees in the first year. Getting sold out was heartening, and made me realise that there was a demand for it,” he shares.
Celebrating consciously
Over the years, Sandesh rented a small space near his home in Kalwa, Thane, where he showcases his products annually. With production starting each year on June 5, Environment Day, he shares with a touch of pride that his entire collection sells out well before Ganesh Chaturthi every year!
“Earlier, people would visit Lalbaug or other areas physically to buy decorations. Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, people are shopping online. We started delivering the decorations home since inception, which gave us an advantage,” he adds.
While the packaging was huge initially, the artist has worked on making it small and compact, which allows him to deliver internationally too. The USP, besides being sustainable, is the fact that the decorations can be assembled in less than five minutes!
“Just like ready-to-cook meals, this is a ready-to-install makhar. Its three standout features are its lightweight design, compact size, and ease of installation — it can be set up in just five minutes,” he reiterates.
Each package contains a stand, an umbrella, two inflatable pillows (for easy packaging), a seat/ cloth for Ganesha, and the backdrop. The package weighs less than 4 kg, which was designed keeping in mind international shipping.
“I’ve had orders from the USA, Canada, Australia, and across the country this year. It’s easy to install and can be used for many years. I’ve had customers who just take a different backdrop after three years, retaining the other decorations,” adds Sandesh.
Shankar Sawant, one of Sarvangi Arts’ first customers, says that what keeps him coming back is the freshness of the designs and the unique concept.
“I look forward to Sandesh’s new designs every year. It’s made the entire decoration process so simple. I don’t have to worry about it at all and can start it just on the morning of Ganesh Chaturthi. I gave last year’s makhar to my relatives in Nashik. We keep rotating the designs within our family, which ensures they get reused!” says Shankar.
The artist emphasises that all the materials used can be reused, from the sarees to the metal pipes, which are recyclable. He firmly believes that none of it will end up in landfills. “The paper and metal used can be given to the scrap dealer,” he informs.
Sarvangi Arts remains Sandesh’s passion project, even as he continues his full-time job. In the months leading up to the festival, he dedicates his evenings and weekends to the business, often working until 11 or 12 pm each night.
Handling the entire manufacturing process himself, Sandesh has also secured a design patent for his Paithani Pankha design. He hopes to capitalise on this patent in the coming years by scaling up production for mass manufacturing.
Currently, Sandesh offers 10 designs at three price points: Rs 3,200, Rs 4,100, and Rs 5,000. This year, the Shahi Lakhota design was the bestseller, selling out a month before Ganesh Chaturthi. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand into home decor and introduce additional pooja items starting next year.
“I want people to celebrate consciously and consider the environmental impact of their festivities. I hope that they reuse the decorations for as long as possible,” he says.
Edited by Pranita Bhat, Images Courtesy Sandesh Gaonkar
