JAY JOSHI
As monsoon season progresses, bringing the hills of Goa alive in all their natural splendour, the people of the State too are busy preparing for exciting times to come. Ganesh Chaturthi, Goa’s most popular festival is now just a fortnight away and preparations for the same are in full swing. While households are planning their celebrations and decorations, sculptors across Goa as well as neighbouring Maharashtra are busy giving final touches to idols of Lord Ganesh.
The long tradition of Ganesh idols in Goa and Maharashtra has over the years incorporated many new trends and styles, and is today evolving to incorporate environmental awareness in Chaturthi celebrations. Ganesh idols of various shapes, styles and sizes are now making their way into the markets, inform sculptors.
“We offer Ganesh idols starting from 550 upto 1500, in sizes ranging from 1 feet to 3 feet,” informs Dnyaneshwar Shetkar, a sculptor from Keri, Sankhali. “We do not offer Plaster of Paris idols. We have kept the business close to its traditional roots,” adds the sculptor. “The growth in demand has not been pretty significant, but we do good business because my family has been selling Ganesh idols for many generations and we have families in the village that have been buying idols from us since the time of my grandfather,” he informs.
Ameya Parab, a sculptor from Revora also draws attention to some worrying trends in the market. “We have been in this business for over three generations, making idols from ‘chikan maati’. Owing to environmental concerns, we do not offer Plaster of Paris idols. However, in recent years, demand for PoP idols has been growing and it is indeed a cause of worry,” says Parab, adding that the government’s efforts to discourage the use of PoP idols have not been very effective. “PoP idols look better than traditional clay idols. Also, they are less fragile than clay pieces. Hence, many people prefer PoP idols over clay and this affects our business,” says Parab, who offers Ganesh idols ranging from 1 to 4 feet, starting at Rs 800 and upto Rs 4000. He further states that he has in the past tried making idols from other material such as paper and coir, but they do not give the smooth look of the clay or PoP idols.
Sunil Harmalkar from Mayem also points out that the market for PoP idols in Goa has changed. “Earlier, sculptors themselves used to make and sell Ganesh idols, but now, there have emerged middle-men who buy cheap PoP idols from neighbouring states at low prices and sell them in Goa,” he states. “Similarly, this year, owing to floods, the import of idols from Kolhapur has been hindered and that has driven the prices of pieces in Goa up by at least a thousand rupees,” adds Harmalkar. He also opined that the ban on PoP idols has been more successful in areas such as Nipani in Karnataka than it has been in Goa, and called upon the State government to strengthen its implementation mechanism.
On the other hand, Shekhar Behere, a sculptor from Panvel, Maharashtra, averred that he has been successful in promoting environmental awareness among his clients. “Myself and many other sculptors here insist on selling only clay idols and we even have a special scheme for customers who buy clay idols. They immerse the idols at home and give the clay back to us, and the next year, they get a discount of Rs 500 on the Ganesh,” informs Behere. “There is also a trend of making idols out of a mixture of gypsum and coconut coir. These idols dissolve faster in water,” states the sculptor.
While most sculptors did voice concerns about the PoP idols that still pose a challenge. Environmentally friendly trends are on the rise but the growth in these trends is slow. Bringing a lasting change in these conditions will need a combination of both, political as well as popular will, averred the sculptors who spoke to TG Life on the issue.
