Bengaluru markets brim with Ganesha and Gowri idols ahead of festival
Ahead of the Gowri Ganesha festival, Bengaluru markets are stocked with diverse idols, from guitar-holding Ganeshas to vintage Gowri forms.
With the Gowri Ganesha festival only days away, markets across Bengaluru are filled with idols in a wide variety of designs and structures. Shoppers can browse stalls in Banashankari, Pottery Town and Malleshwaram, where Ganeshas are available in numerous styles, colours and forms.
The range includes Maharaja-style Ganeshas, idols holding a guitar, and those seated on a Nandi, a peacock or a coiled snake. There are also Ganeshas styled like Shiva, complete with a trishul and damru.
Saravana Kumar, a seller from Pottery Town, said prices start at ₹450 and can go up to ₹1 lakh depending on the size of the idol. Bulk buyers purchase from these markets and resell at higher prices elsewhere in the city, he added.
The Maharaja style is the most popular, inspired by designs seen in Mumbai, Kumar said. A five-foot Maharaja-style Ganesha costs between ₹4,000 and ₹5,000.
Amar, owner of Vinayak Enterprises in Banashankari, said sourcing skilled labour and material for 14 to 15-foot Ganesha idols is difficult. He placed an order with an idol maker in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, well in advance last year. A 10 to 12-foot Ganesha holding a guitar or sitting on a Nandi is priced at ₹55,000, while a Shiva-styled Ganesha costs ₹60,000. More common styles, such as idols seated on a mouse or a lion, are also available.
Even as trends change, some makers and sellers continue to offer vintage styles. Mahith from Gubbi Mane in Malleshwaram said all idols in their shops are hand-painted rather than spray-painted. Every year, they try to create something extraordinary, he said.
This year, they have prepared Seru Gowri, which is worshipped exclusively in Mysuru, including in the palace. They also have Bande Gowri, distinctive for the thali women wear being painted on the idol's shoulders. Other forms include Mysore Muddu Gowri, meaning a cute one, and Arshinada Gouri, a sacred cone-shaped idol made from turmeric and water. Prices for these idols range from ₹450 to ₹6,000.