Lord Ganesha (also known as Ganpati) did not need to hop on the Singapore city bus to see some of the country’s most iconic landmarks.
The Patil family recreated the entire Singapore skyline in their home altar with elaborately crafted sculptures of Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, Supertree Grove, and the Singapore Flyer for Ganesh Chaturthi, which fell on Sept 14 this year.
Ganesh Chaturthi is an 11-day Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of the elephant-headed deity, which concludes with visarjan – the ritual immersion where clay idols of Lord Ganesha are submerged in a body of water to symbolise his farewell.
The family of four would typically adorn their altar with flowers and temple-inspired decor but wanted to demonstrate their love for the country they have called home for the past 12 years while still paying homage to their Maharashtrian roots.
Ms Anuradha Patil, 35, a content creator and trained electrical engineer, and her husband, Mr Raju Patil, 40, a software engineer, conceptualised the designs for the sculptures.
“There was no blueprint or video tutorial of anyone making these landmarks, so we tried to do it ourselves,” Ms Anuradha said.
Their sons – Aarav, 10, and three-year-old Aagam – were heavily involved from the very start, helping their parents to paint and glue on the materials where needed.
“We also wanted the children to feel happy from creating something themselves as opposed to just buying it from a shop,” Ms Anuradha added.
Their helper, Ms Pavadeep Kaur, 30, also played an active role in the decor creation.
The family took around a month, using their free pockets of time after work and school, to put together their Singapore skyline complete with miniature figurines of tourists, sports cars and shrubbery like palm trees.
The entire setup sits on a sizable 4m x 3m table, which is lined with colourful LED lights for an added festive flair.
They used cost-effective materials such as cardboard rolls and pipe cleaners to build the Supertrees, while the Marina Bay Sands’ three towers were constructed with foam blocks and reflective glass paper to replicate the hotel’s sleek glass panels.
However, the unique architecture of the ArtScience Museum posed a challenge to recreate.
“It was the most difficult one. We actually gave up but decided to try again on the last day,” Mr Raju said. “We were awake till 3am on Monday (Sept 14), but we did it.”
The Singapore Flyer sculpture was a last-minute addition, requiring significant time and meticulous effort to ensure the capsule cut-outs were scaled proportionately to the observation wheel’s spindle and base.
“I have a video where he (Mr Raju) is on a work call, but he is still building the capsules,” Ms Anuradha quipped.
The main intention behind the family’s Ganpati decor project is to create more opportunities to bond.
As their extended relatives reside abroad, it can feel lonely at times, so the Patils make it a priority to plan a get-together with their friends in the local community whenever they can, especially during festive occasions and cultural events.
“I’m really surprised that my Chinese and Malay friends want to know more about our culture,” said Ms Anuradha, who shared that she grew up in a town where residents of different religions live in harmony.
“You can feel that same vibe in Singapore. I have never felt like an outsider here,” she added.
