1 2 Pune: The spirit of Ganeshotsav transcends borders, with Pune-based sculptors witnessing a surge in international orders ahead of the festival, which starts from Sep 7. Eager to recreate the vibrant celebrations, Maharashtrians settled abroad have placed orders with local sculptors and vendors months in advance for intricately crafted Ganpati idols and decorative items. Girish Murudkar, a vendor and owner of Murudkar Zendewale said that orders from the Maratha Mandal in Philadelphia alone amounted to approximately Rs50,000 this year.
From traditional adornments like abdagiri and toran to a range of festive flags, items that are essential to replicating the authentic Ganeshotsav experience are in high demand among clients overseas. “We have been sending items to clients in the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand for over 15 years. This year, we fulfilled a special order of the branding of the Maratha Mandal in Philadelphia embroidered on the abdagiri, an item that is hard to find in Indian stores abroad,” said City-based sculptor Rajendra Deshmukh echoed this sentiment, highlighting a 20% increase in export orders this year, primarily for idols crafted in the iconic styles of renowned temples like Dagdusheth and Lalbaug.
“These meticulously crafted idols, often adorned with artificial diamonds, offer a tangible connection to the cultural vibrancy of Pune. NRIs on their visit to the city usually take idols with them. Others who want it delivered abroad have to pay extra for packaging and courier.
Prices of the idols start at 15dollars.” Besides traditional idols, unique white paper-mache Ganapatis, shipped in specially designed packaging, are also finding homes in Dubai, Singapore, and even as far as the UK and the Netherlands. “The white Ganapati idol comes with a set of six paints and two brushes that people can use to colour these, or use their own paints according to their creative calling.
In most cases, people install their DIY idols for the puja because of its amateur look. With this package, the idol is well sculpted and the DIY element comes in through the painting, which is easy enough to do," said Shobana Hadap, chief creative officer at Handmade Paper Institute (HPI). “For the last few years, we have been working on the special packaging to courier delicate paper-mache idols over long distances.
This year we have finally succeeded. These idols are vacuum packed in inflatable packaging material that holds the idol in place inside the box,” added Hadap. For sculptors like Soham Dhokte, crafting idols is more about preserving tradition and fostering a sense of cultural connection for those celebrating miles away.
“Clients from Berlin have purchased a 16-inch Ganapati idol this year because they plan to have a big celebration. They tell me, it is very difficult to find shadu mati idols there. Sometimes families with relatives abroad buy extra idols to send over to them.
Clients from the US call me 2-4 months ahead of the festival to keep idols ready and have their relatives or friends courier it to them.”.
