Delay in permitting Ganesh Chaturthi affects idol makers business in Karnataka

Shivamogga: Ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Ganesha idol makers in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka say that delay in permitting celebrations has affected their business.

With businesses already in rough shape due to the Covid pandemic since last year, such a delay, idol makers say, has affected their businesses adversely and has not allowed them to prepare a lot of idols, especially the bigger ones.

"If the government released the guidelines early, we would have prepared more idols. There are only a few days left for the festival. People come to us and ask for idols but we do not have big-sized idols. We have been facing financial issues for the last two years due to COVID-19. The government's untimely guidelines ruined us," says an idol maker named Ganesh.

The Karnataka Government issued the guidelines for the Ganesh Chaturthi on Sunday, only a few days ahead of festivities.

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturti is a Hindu festival celebrating the arrival of Ganesh to earth from Kailash Parvat with his mother Goddess Parvati/Gauri. It will be celebrated on September 10 this year.