Lucknow: Faith may draw different lines, but 84-year old Muslim craftsman Ishtiyaq Ali’s wooden idol of Lord Ganesha blurs them and reflecs the city’s enduring Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb through craftsmanship.His journey began at 13, when he learnt carpentry to shoulder his family’s responsibilities.Born in Kakori, he moved to Lucknow post-Independence with his four brothers and took up odd jobs, even cleaning car windows, while nurturing his love for crafting. His distinctive creations gradually drew attention, and by 2024, he was known as ‘Ishtiyaq Murtiwale.’“I started making these 10 years ago and since then, I have grown so attached to my artwork that I even see them in my dreams,” says Ishtiyaq, gently tracing the contours of one of his favourite wooden piece kept at his home in Aliganj.At 84, Ishtiyaq’s enthusiasm for his craft remains undiminished. He lives with his wife, Haseen Jahan (70) and reaches Chandan Chauraha at 11am each day, where his modest stall becomes his workshop. Each creation takes nearly 7-8 hours of patient work.Using mango and mazer wood, Ishtiyaq handcrafts each Ganesha figure in various shapes and sizes, preserving its natural colour instead of painting it. At times, his craft extends to tree trunks, on which he carefully carves the deity’s form, treating the living tree as a base for his creation.Though his four sons are now earning and married, he continues working until 6pm, keeping alive the connection that first took root in his teens.His first creation was a Ganpati figure mounted on a long trunk, marking the beginning of a path that now includes Lord Shiv and Hanuman idols too.
