You’ve seen the city of Mumbai prepare for its most awaited festivity—Ganesh Chaturthi. Here's a little about the woman who takes over the most essential part of that preparation: she makes the idols. Reshma Khatu’s journey as Mumbai's leading female Ganesha idol maker is one of resilience, determination, and breaking boundaries in a traditionally male-dominated craft. Following her father's death, Vijay Khatu, a revered Ganesha idol maker, Reshma found herself at a crossroads. Despite the tremendous loss, she carried his legacy forward and became the torchbearer of the family’s artistic tradition.
On the second street of Bakri Adda, Mumbai, sits the magnanimous workshop of Reshma Khatu. It’s Friday, and it’s an overstretched day for her as she needs to dispatch two notable 30-feet tall Ganesh idols by the weekend.
As you move around the workshop, you see artists painting the idols with focused eyes. Some are meticulously carving the ears and buffing the edges of the Ganesh idols. However, in this space full of men, you notice that they’re all somehow centred by Reshma, who sits on a plastic chair—present, observant, and responsible for all the work happening around her. There are moments when she picks up the brush and gives the idols the much-needed final touch.
Reshma’s journey began as a challenge. Idol-making had long been dominated by men, with few women venturing into the intricate and labour-intensive domain. With a flourishing advertising career, Reshma had never thought of herself as a Murtikaar (idol maker). However, it wasn’t until she stepped into her father’s workshop after his last rites that she felt the shift. “Main ek din mein badi hogayi, aur mujhe laga ki mujhe yeh karna hi hoga mere papa ke liye,” she said. (It felt like I grew up in a day, and I suddenly felt responsible for carrying my father’s legacy ahead.
Reshma’s journey began in 2017, but she believes her actual breakthrough came when she started making Ganesha idols for Sarvajanik Ganesh Pandals, some of the largest and most prestigious in Mumbai. In 2023, she made an astounding 13 idols for Sarvajanik Ganesh Pandals, marking her as a key figure in the city's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Her creations are known for their attention to detail, traditional aesthetics, and the reverence with which they are crafted.
She is the maker of some of the most prestigious and prominent Ganesh idols in Mumbai and Gujarat. Each year, thousands of devotees flock to the Pandals of Chinchpokli to get a glimpse of Chintamani and Tardeo cha Raja, both of which come from her workshop. This year, she has made over 14 idols for Sarvajanik Ganesh Pandals across Mumbai and Gujarat.
Reshma has not only carved a space for herself as an idol maker, but also as a leader in Mumbai's festive arts community, empowering other women and keeping her father’s legacy alive. She mentions, “Ganpati Bappa se zyaada mujhe mere papa se pyaar hai, aur yeh unka ashirwaad hai ki main itne challenges ke baad yaha ab tak hoon,” (My love for my father is over anything and it is his blessing that keeps me going through all the challenges) and instinctively goes back to giving instructions to an artist who awaited her approval.