CUTTACK: A 50-ft-high idol of Lord Ganesh is expected to be the biggest crowdpuller this Ganesh Chaturthi here. Around Rs 3 lakh has been spent on the idol, which is being installed by Srikhetra Nagar Puja Committee at Tingharia. The committee will be spending Rs 10 lakh on the celebrations.At least 12 artisans have been working tirelessly for a month to make the 50-ft-high and 18-ft-wide idol. As the organisers faced shortage of clay in making the huge idol, plaster of paris and 'putty' were also used in making it. Iron rods and over 100 bamboos have been used to erect the idol.The puja organizers have claimed that they are the first to erect a 50-ft-high Ganesh idol. Earlier, people of Cuttack have seen a 35-ft-high Ganesh idol. "The new idol is a replica of Mumbai's Lalbag ka Raja," said joint secretary of the puja Tofan Parida. "We decided to make such a big idol to attract more people to our pandal. The idol will be kept at the pandal for almost a month," added Parida.To keep the idol safe, a huge pandal measuring 65-ft in length and 50-ft in width has been erected. Besides the huge idol, the puja committee has organised an eight-day long special cultural festival. Along with a bhajan samaroah, the committee has made arrangements to serve special prasad like 'dahi pakhal, khiri, ladoo, chuda ghasa' to the revellers during the eight days.However, immersing such a huge idol will not be an easy task so the organisers are yet to take a decision on it. "Carrying out immersion procession of such a big idol in the narrow lanes and by-lanes of Cuttack will be difficult. We will discuss with our members and civic officials as what would be the best way to immerse it. We will either dig a temporary pit on the river bed and immerse the statue or will dissolve it by spraying water on it," said Parida.

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