Artisans give final touches to idols at a workshop in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee and Uttam Kumar Pal

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 26: Devotees all across the city are gearing up for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations that will be observed on Friday.

Traditional idol makers, who toiled hard to create striking idols of the elephant god, are now making a killing.

Ganesh idols of various shapes, sizes, designs and myriad hues have flooded the markets.

The work of making these idols began two months ago. “We make many big and small idols, but we get specific orders as well that we receive well in advance. Most of these loyal customers come back every year,” said Sukumar Behera, an artisan, who has his shop at Unit-I market.

Idols of Ganesha can be found in several unique forms. An idol of Ganesha holding a laptop in one of his four hands caught the attention of buyers at a city market.

“In the era of technology, even the deities have to go tech savvy,” said Behera.

The idols of pot-bellied Ganesha are available in different avatars in the market such as Ganapati in the form of Lord Vishnu relaxing on the sheshnag or like Krishna, dancing on the hoods of the evil snake Kalia.

Then, one can buy something as cute as a baby Ganesha, to a superhero Ganesha.

Though the variety has left the devotees spoilt for choices, the prices are burning a hole in their pockets. Idols are available ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 20,000.

The devotees can also choose from idols that are a few inches tall to several feet high.

“The cost of raw materials, including colours and accessories, has increased over the years. We are forced to hike the prices,” said Prakash Mishra, an idol vendor at Unit-I market.

While new entrants rely heavily on the use of plaster of Paris, the traditional artists still believe in using the sticky clay from the rivers.

“The vendors have hiked the prices, but I think it won’t dissuade a devotee from buying the favourite Ganesha for his home,” said Abhijeet Samal, a local resident.