HYDERABAD: As people gear up to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi after a two-year lull due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sales of Ganesh idols are surging. However, there is a notable difference this year: Sales of clay Ganesha idols dominate those made of PoP.
The streets of Dhoolpet bustled with buyers swarming the stores to purchase
eco-friendly idols. “Numerous idol makers have switched to clay idols this year as opposed to Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols due to the surge in demand for the eco-friendly Ganesha,” said Shankarnath, a shopkeeper in Dhoolpet.
This is the busiest time of the year for the Dhoolpet idol-makers, who eke out a meagre living during the Ganesh festival. According to vendors, who were busy as customers made last-minute purchases, the rush was as intense as a weekend, possibly even more, with idols ranging in size from four to 14
feet tall. Some vendors have idols ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 1 lakh.
"Our colony in Bowenpally used to buy PoP idols from Dhoolpet every year.
But over the past three years, we have decided as a community to switch to clay idols. This has a significant impact on our environment, and we see it as our attempt to protect it from pesticides and pollution,” said Arjun Rao, a customer who bought two five-foot idols.
Several idol makers displayed their creative side by making idols with
themes like the 75th anniversary of India's independence, the KGF film, and
others showing the deity defeating Covid.
According to Prabhakar Babu, an idol-maker and trader from the Esamia Bazaar
market, several people have shown interest in buying clay. “People from
all walks of life showed interest in eco-friendly clay idols this year unlike previous years when just a specific group would prefer them,” he said.
The Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee's convenor, G. Sandeep Raj, said thatover 150 people from various states, including Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu contributed to making this year's eco-friendly idol, which is 50-foot tall. "Idol-makers have toiled day and night. We came up with the idea to install a green Ganesha last year in light of the environment and pollution. Rajasthani clay was used for making the idol, and water paint was used instead of oil paint,” he said.
Meanwhile, the idol vendors breathed a sigh of relief as the situation in
Dhoolpet returned to normal after the tension and restrictions engulfed the Old City last week. "With the businesses closing early and the unexpected curfew-like environment, we were concerned about the sales.
Hyderabad is a peaceful city that promotes peace between many ethnic groups.
It is an inclusive city, and people from different parts of India
coexists peacefully,” said Raj Kumar, an idol maker and seller from
Dhoolpet.
