The festival of joy that is celebrated with community and household celebrations in Indore is approaching and preparing for the same, residents are looking for the blissful Ganesha to be installed in their homes for the coming 11-day Ganesha Utsav from September 2.
Bringing unique designs of Ganesha in multiple styles and colours, most people are opting for eco-friendly idols. While eco-friendly idols are available in various attractive colours and prices, large sized idols of 5 feet and above are still prepared with plaster of paris (POP) and available in the market.
Hence, various pandals in the city might settle for POP idols. Though many pandal coordinators claim to have eco-friendly Ganesha idols every year, it seems less likely because eco-friendly Ganesha idols are rarely found in Indore’s market in large sizes.
Also, it is difficult to bring Ganesha from a longer distance, because they tend to crack and break lacking the strength of POP. To check the same, pollution control board also announced checking of water level after visrajan this year.
Mayor Malini Gaud appealed to people on Saturday urging them to opt for eco-friendly Ganesha idols that are prepared from soil and not other substances. Further, she directed officials to take action against vendors preparing idols from POP in the city.
A peak at the eco-friendly Ganeshas in the city
From simple traditional design of blessing Ganesha, who is enjoying laddoos to modern Ganesha with dholak and drums are available in various sizes in the market. Some unique patterns that can be seen in the market are use of shading to bring out intricate designs and patterns in the idol and beautifully carved Riddhi and Siddhi next to Ganesha.
Adopting the demanded styles, vendors have prepared idols that cater to people’s needs like some idols adorn ‘tilak’ turban, ‘scindia’ turban, ‘dastaar’ and variety of crowns (mukuts).
Lalbagh ka Raja & Dagadusheth Styling in Indore’s pandal
Bringing the look of popular ‘Lalbagh ka Raja’, most vendors have brought the design of Ganesha idols for homes in Indore. It is the most popular Sarvajanik (public) Ganapati idols in Mumbai.
Another popular idol imitates the design of Ganesha from Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple, Pune popularly known as Dagadusheth for its twisted trunk. This idol in Pune has been insured for Rs 10 million as per reports.
Trade secrets and idol specifications
Eco-friendly Ganesha idols available in the city vary from 4 inches to 2.5 feet. “All of my large sized idols are already booked by people, and as per trends, the smaller sized idols will sell last minute,” Shirish Jamle, a vendor said.
He brought about 1,000 idols from Pedgaon, Maharasthra. “I have been bringing these idols for 8 years and always benefitted from the trade,” Jamle said.
The price of idols varies from Rs 301 to Rs 3,101. Another vendor Pandit Narendra Tripathi said, “We brought 8 craftsmen from Bengal to prepare these idols in traditional style and most of them are with Riddhi and Siddhi making it more auspicious.”
He claimed that an eco-friendly idol dissolves in water within 2 hours. “Many vendors are now fooling people and selling them POP made Ganesha as eco-friendly, because preparing eco-friendly in Indore is a big challenge and bringing them from other places mostly kills the trade profit,” Tripathi said.
Bringing unique designs of Ganesha in multiple styles and colours, most people are opting for eco-friendly idols. While eco-friendly idols are available in various attractive colours and prices, large sized idols of 5 feet and above are still prepared with plaster of paris (POP) and available in the market.
Hence, various pandals in the city might settle for POP idols. Though many pandal coordinators claim to have eco-friendly Ganesha idols every year, it seems less likely because eco-friendly Ganesha idols are rarely found in Indore’s market in large sizes.
Also, it is difficult to bring Ganesha from a longer distance, because they tend to crack and break lacking the strength of POP. To check the same, pollution control board also announced checking of water level after visrajan this year.
Mayor Malini Gaud appealed to people on Saturday urging them to opt for eco-friendly Ganesha idols that are prepared from soil and not other substances. Further, she directed officials to take action against vendors preparing idols from POP in the city.
A peak at the eco-friendly Ganeshas in the city
From simple traditional design of blessing Ganesha, who is enjoying laddoos to modern Ganesha with dholak and drums are available in various sizes in the market. Some unique patterns that can be seen in the market are use of shading to bring out intricate designs and patterns in the idol and beautifully carved Riddhi and Siddhi next to Ganesha.
Adopting the demanded styles, vendors have prepared idols that cater to people’s needs like some idols adorn ‘tilak’ turban, ‘scindia’ turban, ‘dastaar’ and variety of crowns (mukuts).
Lalbagh ka Raja & Dagadusheth Styling in Indore’s pandal
Bringing the look of popular ‘Lalbagh ka Raja’, most vendors have brought the design of Ganesha idols for homes in Indore. It is the most popular Sarvajanik (public) Ganapati idols in Mumbai.
Another popular idol imitates the design of Ganesha from Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple, Pune popularly known as Dagadusheth for its twisted trunk. This idol in Pune has been insured for Rs 10 million as per reports.
Trade secrets and idol specifications
Eco-friendly Ganesha idols available in the city vary from 4 inches to 2.5 feet. “All of my large sized idols are already booked by people, and as per trends, the smaller sized idols will sell last minute,” Shirish Jamle, a vendor said.
He brought about 1,000 idols from Pedgaon, Maharasthra. “I have been bringing these idols for 8 years and always benefitted from the trade,” Jamle said.
The price of idols varies from Rs 301 to Rs 3,101. Another vendor Pandit Narendra Tripathi said, “We brought 8 craftsmen from Bengal to prepare these idols in traditional style and most of them are with Riddhi and Siddhi making it more auspicious.”
He claimed that an eco-friendly idol dissolves in water within 2 hours. “Many vendors are now fooling people and selling them POP made Ganesha as eco-friendly, because preparing eco-friendly in Indore is a big challenge and bringing them from other places mostly kills the trade profit,” Tripathi said.