Pandemic has not shrunk demand for Ganesha idols in city

Mangaluru: The spike in Covid-19 cases in Dakshina Kannada has not diminished the demand for Ganesha idols in the city.
There are nearly a dozen traditional sculptors in the city who make about 700 Ganesha idols every year. The work begins months before the festival. Many of them claimed orders were placed much earlier and that the pandemic has not deterred Ganesha worshippers from celebrating the festival.
Speaking to TOI, Vinayak Shet, a Ganesha idol maker with 33 years of experience said more than 100 families have already placed orders for idols and work has begun at his workshop in Car Street. Similarly, he said, all idol makers have been receiving orders from joint families and Sarvajanika Ganesha Samitis that are all set to celebrate the festival on August 22.
“Traditional joint families in the city who live in ancestral houses will not refrain from celebrating the festival. Several Samitis in the city that install Ganesha idols in pandals have also decided to celebrate the festival without much pomp. Instead of huge Ganesha idols of 7ft and above, they have decided to install idols of about 3 – 4ft. Decades ago, we started the tradition by preparing very few idols for families. This year, we have been preparing more than 100 Ganesha idols of various sizes from 6inch to 4.5ft,” he added.
Another sculptor Ramachandra Rao, who has been engaged in making Ganesha idol at Mannagudda for the past 60 years, said majority of the families in the city and samitis have been making preparations to celebrate the festival without much splendour.
“While Ganesha idol making in our family began 90 years ago by my father Mohan Rao, currently the tradition is being carried forward by me and my brothers Prabhakar Rao, Sudhakar Rao, Mahesha Rao and Ankush from fourth generation. We make around 220 – 225 Ganeshas and this year too we have received orders from families and samitis from Kodialbail, Kulshekhar, Bejai, Karangalpady and other places,” he said adding that some families will also be celebrating the festival on October 17.