Lack of orders amid COVID-19 worries Ganesh idol makers

Clay Ganesh idols are also not much in demand as it is evident at Bhoomi Organics store, which promotes eco-friendly products.
Ganesh idols made of clay. (Photo | Prasant Madugula, EPS)
Ganesh idols made of clay. (Photo | Prasant Madugula, EPS)

VIJAYAWADA: With just 10 days left for Vinayaka Chavithi, traditional idol makers in the city and its suburbs are a worried lot as pandal organisers have not approached them so far to buy or place orders for Ganesh idols for the festival. Braving all odds in Covid-19 times, the idol makers have made Ganesh idols of different sizes with clay and Plaster of Paris (POP).

As uncertainty looms large over the conduct of Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations on a grand scale by pandal organisers from August 22, the idol makers have appealed to the State government to evolve a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for celebrating the festival, adhering to Covid protocol. Otherwise, the artisans dependent on making idols for their livelihood, will be badly affected, said K Naresh, an idol maker, who owns a workshop at Nunna.

Speaking to TNIE, he said, “We have made 200 idols only this year as against 500 last year due to lack of working capital. There is also uncertainty over celebrating Vinayaka Chavithi on a grand scale due to Covid restrictions. Generally, pandal organisers used to approach us by this time every year to buy Ganesh idols or place orders. This year, they just enquired about prices of Ganesh idols without placing orders.”
A 1.5-ft Ganesh idol made of POP is priced at `600, while a 6-ft POP idol costs between `8,000 and `10,000 depending on the theme. “We hope that all our idols will be sold once the government issues guidelines for the conduct of Vinayaka Chavithi festivities by pandal organisers,” he added.

Clay Ganesh idols are also not much in demand as it is evident at Bhoomi Organics store, which promotes eco-friendly products.Paryavarana Parirakshana Samithi founder M Raghuram said, “We are promoting installation of eco-friendly Ganesh idols in pandals for the past three years.”

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