Slowdown eats into Ganesh offerings
Though lakhs of devotees are braving heavy rains, their offerings to Lord Ganesha have shrunk considerably, thanks to the overall slowdown.
By Gouri Agtey Athale, ET Bureau |
PUNE: Even the gods are not spared the effects of an economic downturn. Though lakhs of devotees are braving heavy rains, heightened security fears and possible terrorist attacks to pray to their beloved Lord Ganesha, their offerings have shrunk considerably, thanks to the overall slowdown.
Ganeshotsav mandals, organisers of the community festival in Pune, have recorded fewer collections this year as compared to the past few years. ���Usually, mandals order large gold and silver necklaces and crowns.
But this year, purchases have gone down significantly,��� said PN Gadgil Jewellers manager Sunil Pathak. Mr Pathak added, ���Silver prices have shot up three times above their two-years-ago levels. That���s another reason.���
Household buyers have brought cheer to jewellers. Mr Pathak claimed that individuals with higher disposable incomes, as opposed to the mandals, have bought small silver adornments. ���People have bought more necklaces, flowers, fruits and even dry fruits made in silver as ornaments for their deity,��� Mr Pathak said.
He admitted that people were no longer buying large silver items after silver price hovered at Rs 20,500/kg. Jewellers have run out of the smaller items which have caught buyers��� fancy.
However, Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust, one of the richest religious institutions in the country, appears to have successfully defied the downturn. ���We believe our collections will be up by 20-25% over last year,��� said Mahesh Suryavanshi, a trustee.
Last year, it added to its treasury 25 kg gold, 150 kg silver, Rs 1 crore in donations and Rs 75 lakh in the form of offerings. Plus another Rs 70 lakh earned from the half-price auction of 25 lakh coconuts.
This year, the trust received a Rs 2-crore gold necklace with a large ruby on the very first day. Another devotee has installed a conveyor belt for coconuts offered to the Lord.
The coconut put on the conveyor belt is offered to the deity and taken away immediately to a waiting truck. The conveyor belt system costs Rs 7 lakh, and the trust routinely sells these coconuts at half price after the festival is over.
Ganeshotsav mandals, organisers of the community festival in Pune, have recorded fewer collections this year as compared to the past few years. ���Usually, mandals order large gold and silver necklaces and crowns.
But this year, purchases have gone down significantly,��� said PN Gadgil Jewellers manager Sunil Pathak. Mr Pathak added, ���Silver prices have shot up three times above their two-years-ago levels. That���s another reason.���
Household buyers have brought cheer to jewellers. Mr Pathak claimed that individuals with higher disposable incomes, as opposed to the mandals, have bought small silver adornments. ���People have bought more necklaces, flowers, fruits and even dry fruits made in silver as ornaments for their deity,��� Mr Pathak said.
He admitted that people were no longer buying large silver items after silver price hovered at Rs 20,500/kg. Jewellers have run out of the smaller items which have caught buyers��� fancy.
However, Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust, one of the richest religious institutions in the country, appears to have successfully defied the downturn. ���We believe our collections will be up by 20-25% over last year,��� said Mahesh Suryavanshi, a trustee.
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Last year, it added to its treasury 25 kg gold, 150 kg silver, Rs 1 crore in donations and Rs 75 lakh in the form of offerings. Plus another Rs 70 lakh earned from the half-price auction of 25 lakh coconuts.
This year, the trust received a Rs 2-crore gold necklace with a large ruby on the very first day. Another devotee has installed a conveyor belt for coconuts offered to the Lord.
The coconut put on the conveyor belt is offered to the deity and taken away immediately to a waiting truck. The conveyor belt system costs Rs 7 lakh, and the trust routinely sells these coconuts at half price after the festival is over.
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