Jamshedpur, Aug. 25: The days of Hindi-chini bhai bhai may long be over, but Chinese dolls continue to rule the roost in the markets in the steel city.

With prominent festivals on the Hindu calendar, like Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi round the corner, the city market is flooded with Chinese-made idols of Hindu gods and goddesses.

In fact, Chinese-made dolls were always brought from the markets of Mumbai and Calcutta. But the idols of Hindu gods and goddesses have been coming in for the last two weeks and they have been an instant hit with the customers.

?The buyers come and ask for idols of different gods and goddesses but most popular are those, which are made in China. The idol of Lord Ganesha seems to be the favourite among all others. One look at the Chinese dolls seals the customer?s choice,? said Rajesh Shah, the owner of Hallmark, a gift shop in Bistupur.

Available within a price range of Rs 100 and Rs 2,000, not only are the Chinese idols more attractive but they also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. So there is the Ram Durbar, the Shiva family, Radha Krishna and, of course, the pot-bellied deity of good luck and prosperity, Ganesha.

Rajesh Vasani, owner of Archies Gallery, pointed that the Chinese idols are made of polystone (a fine marble dust) and are spruced up beautifully. What?s more, they can be cleaned and washed with water.

Vasani, too, iterated the buyers? choice. ?The Chinese idols are the most favourite. Though we keep the Indian ones in our shop, their get-up pales in comparison to their Indian counterparts. They make a lovely addition to living rooms, car dashboards and even temples,? added Vasani.

Raman Kumar, the owner of a gift shop in Golmuri, believe that the Chinese dolls are popular because of their ?real-life look?.

Pawan Kumar, who runs a gift shop in Sakchi, said, ?I am struggling to cope with the demands. The sale has picked up because of festivals like Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi. I ordered about 25 sets but they have been all sold last week,? he added.