As every Ganesh festival draws near, the innovators go to work. So, from Ganpati icons in plaster of Paris anc clay, we've moved to papier mache ones and ones made entirely of coconuts, flowers, coins and fruit. For the rich collector there are Ganpatis of crystal and those encrusted with precious stones. Mumbai puts up 40-ft Ganpatis and some sedulous craftsmen engrave Ganpatis on a single grain of rice.

But this is the age of computers and Ganesha is the god who keep pace with the times. So now there are digital Ganpatis, mass-produced or customised using the computer. These digital lithographs of the elephant god have emerged from the mouse of Ankur Gupta of Proman Associates.

This computer buff has been at work during the past three months. His efforts have resulted in vibrant coloured digital lithrographs on laminated canvas. It is a never before-seen variation on an ancient theme and appeals to layman and connoisseur alike.

The entire creative process takes place on the computer. Ankur;s creative skills are matched by the speed of his PowerMac 9500 with 164 MB RAM. Using bare mouse scribbles as reference, the 42-year-old artist initiaties a process of vectorising the line work which enables him to develop a base from which he can generate the final digital Ganpatis.

"The advantage of this approach is that one is able to suitably replicate original digital images with extensive variations of colour and size," explains Ankur. For instance, using this technology an image can be evolved in a range of sizes - as tiny as 1 inch by 1 inch and as vast as 10ft by 10. It gives the art buyers a lot of flexibility, enabling them to have custom-designing images to suit their preferences in terms of colour, ambience, size and decor.

At present the digital Ganpatis are awailable on canvas and special paper or polyster ready to be framed. "There is a special process after the printing to stabilise the prigments and protect them from deterioration bylight and moisture," says Ankur, who has plans to exhibit his creations in a city gallery.

Ankur has also experimented with combining images of Ganpatis with fractals and the results are fascinating. Presently, he has repertoire of 200 Ganpati images all properly stored on compact discs.

Some of Ankur's digital creations, including the Ganpatis, are available for viewing to cyber buffs at www.proman.net/M004.html.