This Ganesh Chaturthi, be ready to pay more to get your favourite god home.
A walk through the idol-making neighbourhoods in Mumbai—Tardeo, Parel, Lalbaug—showed that with the increasing price of diesel, prices of Ganesh idols have crept up since last year. While the increase is smaller (between 10 and 20 percent) for idols that are around 6 inches tall, it is steeper (around 40 percent) for idols that are around 2-feet high. This is also the size that sells the most.
What is also noticeable is that eco-friendly idols are now 10 percent of the market, although they are more expensive than plaster-of-paris idols, at an average of Rs 1,400 for those that are 8 to 14 inches tall.