The Talims have also sculpted other noteworthy statues. So we have to take a lot of care,” says Gaurang. “People want the exact look and feel of the original statue. This year alone, the studio has created around seven ‘Shirdi-size’ Saibaba idol. That is what gives an idol life,” says Rajiv.

The idol at Shirdi measures five-and-a-half feet, and is made of Italian marble, and the Talims say that there is nothing quite like it, especially when it comes to etching finer details on the face. “That’s why our idols are just like the one at Shirdi,” says Rajiv. The Talims still use the original plaster cast made by Balaji for their idols.

The Talims have sculpted over 1,500 Saibaba idols of varying sizes over the last 80 years (Inset) BV Talim, the man behind the original Saibaba idol at Shirdi Their clients have included actor Manoj Kumar, singer Lata Mangeshkar, and former state chief minister, the late Vilasrao Deshmkuh. And these have been shipped across the world, including to a temple in a small town near Osaka, in Japan. Over the last 80-odd years - the studio, originally located at Tribhuvan Road, moved to Girgaon in the 50s - the Talims have sculpted over 1,500 Saibaba idols. Eventually, it was the one chosen for the temple,” says Rajiv, sitting amid dozens of Saibaba idols of varying sizes. “They said that the idol was almost life-like, and asked my grandfather to put the finishing touches to it. When the trust’s officials visited the studio, they were stunned. It was a fleeting moment, but he told my father that he actually saw him standing there.” Inspired by the encounter, Balaji set to work with renewed vigour, and the statue got made in about two weeks. “But, finally, after three months, Baba paid grandfather a ‘visit’ at his studio. Raids on properties belonging to Chennai businessman and art aficionado Ranvir Shah show how loopholes in the system can be exploited to usurp antiquities.

Sai baba shirdi statue