Kolkata:The sales of Ganesha idols have significantly dropped this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Every year, we sell around 4,500 Ganesh idols to major community puja organisers and complex associations in the city. Now the scenario is totally different. There is a 60 per
cent decrease in customers this year. People are
afraid of stepping out due to the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," said Babu Pal, secretary of Kumartuli Mritshilpi Sanskriti
Samity.
Ganesh utsav, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganeshot or Ganesh Chaturthi, is a 10-day festival celebrated with zeal and great fervour in Mumbai and Gujarat.
Over the years, the craze has also increased in West
Bengal. This year, Ganesh
puja will be celebrated on August 22. Depending upon the shape and size of the idol, the cost of the lord Ganesha deity varies from Rs 2,000 to Rs 1 lakh. At first the structure of the Ganesh is prepared and then it is filled up with soil. Once the soil becomes dry, the colour is put up on the
idol.
"On one hand there is a reduction of customers because they don't have money to buy idols. On the other hand, there is scarcity of artisans. There are 3500 artisans in Kumartuli. 50 percent of them have gone home in different districts due to lockdown," said Indrajit Paul, an artisan at Kumartuli.