Bappadevoteesfromcity keep their faith despiterisingcosts

Despite overall cost rising every year, Mumbaiites put no hold on fest expenses

MUMBAI: Although the cost of idols, flowers and decorations have increased significantly this year, Mumbaiites are not holding back their spending on the city’s most extravagant festival.

For 64-year-old Jayshree Malvi’s family, Ganeshotsav is a 124-year-old tradition. “We have guests for 10 days,” said Malvi, an architect, who has been buying the idol from the same artist for years. “Every year, the cost of the idol increases by ₹200 to ₹300. But you don’t ask why in good faith.” There is also the expense of flowers and decoration. “I buy a lot of flowers. On the first day I must have spent ₹7,000 to ₹8,000. As they wither out, I’ll buy again,” said Malvi. Sweets, which are integral to the festival, are made at home. “The cost must have increased by 10% every year. I call for a special cook whose labour cost has also increased,” said Malvi, adding that only the quantity of sweets has decreased.

Lepana Nagaraj, 18, whose family has been observing the puja at home since her birth, said they customise the decorations every year. Nagaraj, a student and a model, said,“this year, the ganesh idol cost ₹3,564 and the gauri idol cost ₹1,800. Last year, both had cost us ₹3,200 totally.” This time the cost of flowers was ₹5,000 while decoration cost ₹7,000 to ₹8,000. For Nagaraj, the overall cost this year has touched ₹24,000 to ₹25,000 compared to ₹15,000 to ₹18,000 last year.

In Neral, 33-year-old Sharvari Tare, a freelance creative visualizer, says her family, which has been following the tradition for 40 years recently went eco-friendly. Tare, who will worship the idol for five days, said of the 125 households in her area, around 100 bring Ganesha idols home. Including all costs, this year her family will be spending ₹25,000, up from ₹16,000 last year.

People such as Malvi, Nagaraj and Tare, irrespective of their age and economic status, will be contributing to the revenue gener- ated during Ganeshotsav. The estimated revenue generated from Ganeshotsav in India was pegged at ₹20,000 crore in 2015, according to industry body Assocham. The city’s most popular Lalbaugcha Raja contributes a largely to this. “We spend nearly ₹4 crore,” said Balasaheb Kamble, president, Lalbaugcharaja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal. He said prices increase by nearly 10% every year. Chinchpoklicha Chintamani will spend around ₹12 lakh, says Vasudev Sawant, secretary of the mandal — against ₹8 lakh last year— which will touch₹25 lakh including marketing cost.