Elephant God goes overseas to bless devotees

Every year, a month before the Ganeshotsav, Ajay Patel from Gujarat travels 252.4 kms and visits the Lalbaug area to book an idol in advance for the festival. Just like this idol, many Ganpati idols are exported to different states as well as overseas in advance, before the 11-day festival starts.

Talking about why he chooses to come to Mumbai every year, to buy his idol, Patel, said, "For 12 years, I have been going to Lalbaug, in Mumbai to book my idol. In Lalbaug, I get to see many varieties of idols in different shapes and sizes. This year, I booked the 5-feet idol which is in Bajirao attire.

Owing to the costliness of the idols, he says, "In Gujarat, we get the idols for a very high price, and there is less variety because of which, I prefer travelling to Mumbai, and ordering my idol. A week before the festival, I travel to Lalbaug and take the idol home in Navsari."

The idol-makers are also happy with the increasing demand from overseas and from the states.

Ramesh Rawle, an idol-maker in Lalbaug, expressed that many customers call him every year to book an idol. Speaking about the number of idols exported, Rawle, said, "I get booking orders from places like America, Thailand, Malaysia. Every year, I export over 40 idols during the festival. It takes 40 days to transport them overseas. People from other communities like the Parsis and Muslims staying abroad, too, book idols for the festival."