Bhubaneswar, Sept. 13: The festival season is all set to make a start with Ganesh Chaturthi this Thursday.
While idol makers are working overtime for the festival, Puja committees are going all out to build innovative pandals.
Artisan Kulu Behera, 56, from Kendrapara had hardly stepped out of home in the last three months. The artisan has been devoting all his time to shaping Ganesh idols.
He runs an apparel store in the city, but idol making gives him a sense of satisfaction. "This is an art that has been continuing in my family since decades. But I carve idols for pleasure and not for profit," said Behera, who has been making idols for the last 15 years.
This is boon time for a number of idol makers across the state. While sale is definitely picking up, the rise in price of the idols can be a possible deterrent.
"The cost of raw materials, transport, electricity and labour has increased, so the rise is unavoidable," said Bichitra Kumar, an artisan from Cuttack who has set up a stall at CRPF Square.
The prices of idols have increased by 20 to 25 per cent compared to last year. The steep rise in the price of clay idols has led to the popularity of plaster of Paris figurines of Lord Ganesh.
"We wanted to buy a five-feet idol, but the artisan asked for Rs 4,500, which we could not afford. So, we had to opt for a plaster of Paris idol that is cheaper and lighter," said Aparupa Mishra, the member of a local club in Madhusudhan Nagar.
There will be more than 200 pandals across the city celebrating Ganesh Puja and the festival committees are upbeat with unusual themes and innovative ideas.
Ushaloka Puja Committee of Master Canteen Square has been celebrating Ganesh Puja since 1969. This year, their theme for the Puja will focus on Nabakalebar.
"Nabakalebar was highlighted across the world. That is why we thought of portraying the various aspects of the festival at our pandal this year. The idol will be around 13ft," said the secretary of the festival.
While around 13 idol makers from Midnapore in Bengal are busy carving a 25ft idol of Lord Ganesh at Saheed Nagar, the students of BK College of Art and Crafts are working on a tiny replica of the famous Lalbaugcha Raja of Mumbai at the Unit-1 puja pandal.
The market is flooded with accessories such as necklaces and bracelets with images of Lord Ganesh on them. Khimji Jewellers has launched its Ashtavinayak Collection-a series of eight beautiful Ganesh gold pendants.
There are also heavy discounts and attractive offers on purchase of apparels at various stores across the city.
Mitesh Khimji, director of Khimji Jewellers, said: "Ganapati is considered divine by the people of Odisha and he is also the god of prosperity. So, a large number of devotees invest in buying gold during this time."
The film industry is also set to cash in on Ganesh Puja celebrations.
Odia film Aashiq will hit the theatres on Ganesh Chaturthi. Directed by Sudhakar Vasanth, the film portrays a story of love with Sambit Acharya and Koyel Mishra in the lead roles.
