Ganesh idol makers face losses in lakhs

Ganesh idol makers face losses in lakhs

KOLHAPUR/PUNE: With their homes and workshops submerged in floodwater for over 10 days, the Ganesh idols makers of Kumbhar Galli in Shahupuri area of Kolhapur are now looking at losses of at least Rs 3 to 5 lakh each.

While the State has started preparations for Ganesh festival celebrations, in flood-affected Kolhapur, the enthusiasm has not caught up yet. While major Ganesh mandals in the city and surrounding areas have announced that the Ganesh celebrations, starting from September 2, would not be of the usual grandeur this year owing to floods, the families in Kolhapur are keeping it low this year. 

“Over 100 Ganesh idols were ready in my house when the water from Jayanti Nala behind the lane began entering our homes. Estimating the water levels to be the same as the 2005 floods, we kept the idols at a higher level inside the home itself before leaving our homes,” said idol maker Sudhakar Purekar in Kumbhar Galli.

“However, the water increased several feet more than the last floods, leaving our house fully submerged,” said Purekar. 

He has faced a loss of at least Rs 4-5 lakh apart from the loss of almost all his personal belongings.

“These are our homes. Everything that we ever owned was here. After being in the water for 10 days, most of the things including furniture and appliances have been ruined,” Purekar added.

“We had several orders from Ganesh mandals. While many of the smaller idols that we had kept on the loft storage areas have survived the floods and can be used with slight repairs, the bigger ones are damaged. We are trying our best to warm them and colour them again but it seems next to impossible to make them ready before the festival. Some of the idols are still damp,” said another idol maker in the area Raghunath Purekar, who has faced a loss of at least Rs 3 lakh this season.

As he tried to give some repairing touches to the idols that he managed to save from the floods, Ramdas Punalkar said, “I am trying to do the best that I can with whatever is left. We are going to get compensation, but we cannot rely on that. We have no insurance to fund our recovery.”

A few customers were making their way through the ruined and repairing idols, trying to find the best one amongst those available to buy. 

“We had ordered a different Ganesh idol, but now, there are not many left to choose from. Ganesh idols are still available at several other areas in the city that were not under water, but I buy my idol from Kumbhar Galli every year. It does not feel good to abandon these people now, especially in this situation of crisis,” said a customer.

Apart from the Ganesh idols, other smaller businesses running in the lane have also affected severely. 

“I had a vermicelli making machine, which is now broken completely due to floods. Another family had a flour mill, which has also been ruined. Our homes and our businesses both need to be started from zero now,” Purekar said.

LOW-KEY GANESH FESTIVAL THIS YEAR
- Idol makers in Kolhapur are facing losses in lakhs because ready idols were damaged due to floodwater.
- It is not possible to make new idols on short notice. 
- The idols that survived the floods are being sold after minor repair work.
- Ganesh festival celebrations are expected to be low-key in Kolhapur this year.

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