Balasaheb Thackeray / Centenary honour
Orient–Samana honour — recognition for the Sahyadri Krida Mandal idol, presented in the presence of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray (1992).
From formless clay to serene Ganesha
Babi Bandekar — Ganesh Chitra Mandir, Chembur
The Master
The Life of Babi Bandekar
In 1969 he shaped his first eight-foot Ganpati in Chembur — one idol that year, celebrated in the press. From Amar Mahal, idols travelled across Mumbai and beyond.
He did not only shape clay; he gave Ganesha a peaceful face — and taught a daughter the sacred craft of drawing the eyes.
Legacy
The Five Daughters
Babi called them his Panchratna. Today his five daughters run Ganesh Chitra Mandir — sustaining the workshop tradition begun in Chembur.
Meet The Daughters
The Sisters
Master Sculptors
The Mandal’s Beloved Ganaraya
2026 · Sahyadri Krida Mandal · Chembur
50 golden yearsgolden years
Sahyadri Krida Mandal
Golden jubilee year 2026
Shaped by the skilled hands of sculptor Babi Bandekar and his sculptor Panchratna — where devotion, art and tradition meet — Sahyadri Krida Mandal’s beloved Ganaraya completes fifty golden years of a blessed journey this year!
Five decades of unbroken faith… a treasury of countless devotees’ feelings… and this divine journey of Ganaraya shaped through the Bandekars’ art — glowing anew in a golden jubilee year with fresh devotion…
Shaped by the skilled hands of sculptor Babi Bandekar and his sculptor Panchratna — where devotion, art and tradition meet — Sahyadri Krida Mandal’s beloved Ganaraya completes fifty golden years of a blessed journey this year!
Five decades of unbroken faith… a treasury of countless devotees’ feelings… and this divine journey of Ganaraya shaped through the Bandekars’ art — glowing anew in a golden jubilee year with fresh devotion…
Patronage
Moments of Honour
Babi Bandekar and the Panchratnas have been received by leaders and cultural figures who recognised their craft — from Balasaheb Thackeray to civic and stage honours.
Loksatta honour
Girnar Loksatta Ganesh Darshan — Babi Bandekar named best sculptor (Vashi–Panvel) for a twelve-foot sitting idol.
Mayor’s Cup
Best Ganesh sculptor honour conferred by Mayor Chandrakant Handore — Chembur’s civic salute to Babi Bandekar’s craft.
Civic honour
A civic and cultural moment with Raj Thackeray recognising the workshop’s place in Maharashtra’s Ganeshotsav tradition.
Bharatiya Ratna Samman
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Bharatiya Ratna Samman 2023 — honouring Murtikar Babi Bandekar and the Panchratna team for Ganesh and Durga idol craftsmanship.
Gallery
Our Creations
Colour, craft, and devotion — a glimpse of murti from the workshop.
Commission
Book Your Murti
Share your mandal or household needs — size, style, and timing. We will continue the conversation on WhatsApp.
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