Ganesha idol makers, whose businesses used to thrive ahead of the annual Ganesh chaturthi festival in Maharashtra, are facing tough times this year due to restrictions on the height of idols and difficulty in procurement of raw material amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Craftsmen from Aurangabad and neighbouring Jalna say the rise in manufacturing costs due to shortage of raw material coupled with higher transportation expenses have added to their woes.

Ganeshotsav is the most popular festival in Maharashtra. The pandals set up by various mandals across the State attract thousands of devotees during the 10-day festival, which begins on August 22 this year.

The State government last month restricted the height of idols installed by the mandals to only four feet, and at homes to two feet.

“This time, business is very less. The raw material required for making these idols is brought from Gujarat. This year, the transportation of raw material got hampered and so it affected our work,” said Ganesh Joble, an idol maker from Begumpura area in Aurangabad.

“Many of us work round the year to make big sized idols. But this year, idols of more than four feet in height cannot be sold which is a loss for us. Now we also need to keep the big idols safe till next year,” he rued.

Artisan Manoj Rakhe, from Partur in Jalna, said the lockdown affected the availability of raw material and moulds for making idols. “We have made lesser number of idols this time and also did not make big sized idols,” he said.