Idols should not be huge

28 Feet Ganesh Idol	Huge Ganesh Idol in lord Parshuram Form

A. According to the scriptures, the height of the Ganesh idol should be limited. The idol should have a maximum height of 1.5 metres because an idol larger than that makes it difficult to perform ritualistic worship. The custom of keeping a small idol for ritualistic worship and a huge idol for exhibition is absolutely incorrect. Idols of deities cannot be objects of exhibition.

B. As sufficient clay is not available to make huge idols, sometimes the idols are made from dry leaves and grass with a coating of clay over it. How much divinity will be present in such an idol?

C. When making huge idols, iron rods, bamboos, etc. are required to be inserted within them for support. It is improper to use such objects in the idols. Besides, if these idols surface above the water source after immersion, some people even break them and sell the iron rods and wooden plates found within.

D. It is very cumbersome and expensive to transport huge idols. Traffic congestion during transportation of these idols is a common phenomenon. There is also the risk of touching electric cables when transporting idols which are 51 feet high. At times, people even get injured while loading and downloading the huge idols from trucks.

E. Since transportation of huge idols is very slow, their arrival at the site of immersion is delayed. By then if there is high tide, one cannot go deep into the sea. By rule, the huge Ganesh idols should be taken into the sea for immersion before high tide, where the water is 10 to 15 feet deep. In reality however, the huge idols are immersed in water which is merely 6 to 7 feet deep. During immersion, the idols on trolleys are thrown into the water by fastening a rope around the neck of the idol. Thus the idol cracks and breaks down into several pieces. So also, sometimes the volunteers of the festival committees are so exhausted by singing and dancing in the procession that they are not prepared to immerse the idol in deep water. They partially immerse the idol in water, place it horizontally and leave.

F. The other idols and scenes kept along with the Ganesh idol should not be huge in size. When offering obeisance, one should touch the feet of the deity by which one can derive greater benefit of the energy emitted by the deity. This is not possible in the case of huge idols. It would be worth knowing the experience of a devotee of Lord Ganesh who insisted on having a huge idol. At Colval in Goa, a devotee obstinately made an idol which was the biggest in the entire village. He had to break the door of his house to take the idol inside and till today that door cannot be fitted properly! The government itself should enact a law to check the production of huge idols. If those making huge idols and Ganesh festival committees are fined heavily then it will curb this practice.

Read Further:
Idols of Lord Ganesh should not have weird forms and attires
Idol should not be sculptured from material other than china clay or mud