Dhoolpet idol makers hit by major slump in sales

HYDERABAD:  Every year the narrow lanes of Dhoolpet market witness a huge rush at this time of the year. Colourful Ganesh idols of different shapes and sizes are kept ready for sale outside almost every house. Scores of pandal organisers from different parts of the city visit Ganesh stalls to select the most attractive idol for the 11-day festival. However, this year the hustle-bustle is missing.

Sudhir Singh (38), an idol maker says, “Every year, by this time we are almost done with booking half of our orders, mostly for idols above 13 ft to 17 ft tall. But this year, we haven’t even made big idols, because of Covid-19 restrictions and zero demand.”Customers from Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh come to Dhoolpet every year to buy Ganesh idols. But, this year no customers from nearby districts have come to the market yet, claim idol makers.

Another artisan Vijender Singh (35) says, “Our business is seasonal. Every year, we take loans and start work. After the Ganesh festival, we pay back the loans from our earnings and save the rest for the next few months. But this year, we are not even sure if we will be able to pay back our loans.”

In Uppal, idol makers from Rajasthan have a similar story to tell. “Our forefathers left our native villages years ago and moved to Hyderabad. Since then, we have been making these idols. We cannot go back to our native places where there is nothing left for us nor can we make our ends meet here,” said Devi (58).
A stall owner in Amberpet told Express, “Just a few days are left for the Ganesh Chaturthi.However, this year our sales haven’t even started. Every year by this time almost 30-40 per cent of our idol sales are completed.” 

“But this year, as the restrictions for the Ganesh festival were unclear, we delayed putting up our stall. This year we are only selling smaller idols (below 3ft in height). We are still hoping that the sales will eventually pick up,” he added.