My friend, Ganesha

He did not have to drink milk ortolerate the cacophony of mandal remixes to convince Rama Shah. A simple guestappearance in her dream 11 years ago was enough. That night in March 2000, Shah saw the elephant-headed lord reclining sideways on a cushion, a bit like Lord Vishnu. He sported heavy ornaments and looked as enormous as the radiant sky behind him. Shah was mesmerised and for days, could not shake off the desire to convert that vision into something concrete. Her eureka moment arrived while designing a clay pot for her handicraft class. She decided to make an idol of Ganesha in the same form, if not size, that he had appeared to her. Today, the living room of this simple Jain housewife looks like aGanesha cloning laboratory. As if proving his omnipresence, her favourite deityoccupies almost every inch of the room—be it the glass shelves, theteapoy, the showcase and even the dining table. Amazingly, in the 11 years aftershe saw that divine vision, Shah has managed to create over 1.5 lakh handmadeGanesha idols, many of them with her eyes closed. "It has become aform of meditation for me," says the 50-year-old who makes these idols almostevery night in the isolation of her bedroom while listening to the Navkar mantraand chanting to herself. After creating the basic structure with a combinationof materials that she does not want to disclose for reasons best known to her,Shah paints them in multi hues the next day. She uses only her fingers, emptyballpen refills and her imagination. This incessant habit has seen her win notonly the trophies displayed proudly next to her sofa but also several nationaland international records, right from the one she got for making 9999 idols in99 days in the year 2000 to her recent successful attempt at creating 999 idolsin 24 hours without consuming food or water. "Nine is my lucky number," beamsShah. But what she finds truly rewarding is periodically referringto the 20-odd visitor books in her living room filled with comments such as "Icould feel the positive vibrations in your house". Shah even has photo albumsshowing Jain gurujis looking on as she creates an idol in front of themblindfolded. "They have always encouraged and appreciated my talent," says thedevotee who can create a medium-sized flawless Ganesha idol in ten minutes flat.Her speed and efficiency can perhaps be traced back to her childhood in Gujaratwhere, as the eldest of six siblings, she had to grow up before her time. "Iused to make 60 chapatis in just one hour," she recalls, crediting hergrandmother with giving her what she calls "family values". Thesecome in handy at the various exhibitions and NGO meets Shah addresses, where mensometimes ask such questions as, "Why aren't we blessed with a steady supply ofmoney?" Shah, in return, asks them to treat women with respect. "Otherwise, howwill goddess Laxmi like to enter your house?" she says. Certain visitors evencome to her with deeper domestic issues and Shah happily fulfils the role herfavourite lord is most known for—" a remover of all obstacles". Afterdispensing general pieces of wisdom such as "respect your elders", she handsthem idols fortified with the chanting of a host of problem-specific mantras.For husband-wife squabbles, she hands out Ganesha idols in cool colours such asblue and green, for financial issues she prescribes idols in peach, orange orcream and those with infertility problems get a shiny stone cut in half whichhouses a mini-Ganesha . People of all faiths, including a Muslimwoman from Vashi with marital issues, have come to her seeking an idol of thedeity and his blessings. Some, to her surprise, even fall at her feet and callher "devi".It's evident that this faith of Shah—who recentlyeven created an idol dedicated to Anna Hazare—has percolated to her familyof five. "Even when I pack my suitcase, I make sure I put an idol in first,"says Shah's daughter Riddhi, a fashion designer. Her son Harsh, when he was justtwo, used to carry a Ganesha idol in his pocket all the time. When people askedhim why, the toddler would respond, "It keeps me from falling."Shah's husband, Satish, sums up the changes in the past ten years inone sweeping line. "We have had no problems," he says.