Chennai, Sept. 6 -- With Vinayagar Chaturthi just around the corner, artisans in Tamil Nadu's Mayiladuthurai district are busy giving the final touches to colourful Ganesha idols being prepared for the festival.

In Kanjanagaram village under Tharangambadi taluk, an idol-making workshop run by Sakthivel has been seeing busy days as artisans work on idols of different shapes and sizes. The idols are made using materials such as clay and paper pulp before being dried, painted and decorated with crowns, ornaments and other designs.

Several idols, ranging from small figures to those measuring up to 10 feet, have already been completed and lined up for sale. People from nearby villages have also started visiting the workshop to buy idols for ...