Demand for clay Ganesh idols has overtaken Vinayaka Chaturthi by leaps and bounds

An artist puts the finishing touches to a clay idol of Lord Ganesha at Ayodhya Nagar in Vijayawada on Saturday. | Photo credit: GN RAO

There was a good demand for clay idols of Ganesh in the market, environmentalists and many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are spreading public awareness to perform puja by installing clay idols during the Vijayaka Chaturthi festival to control water pollution.

Many schools and NGOs in the city have been holding competitions in making Ganesha idols using clay for the past few days. With just a day left for Vinayaka Chaturthi, some NGOs have stepped up their campaign, explaining the need to install clay idols in homes and pandals.

“There is a need to do puja with clay idols to prevent pollution of rivers and canals. Idols made of plaster of Paris, paint and iron rods pollute the canals,” said Class X student P. Srivatsa, who was preparing clay Ganesha idols for the competition.

Meanwhile, Bhagavat, an artiste who was busy arranging the sale of clay idols in Vijayawada on Saturday, said, “Even pandal organizers are buying clay idols this year. The demand for Ganesha idols made of clay is high.”

Clay idols are made in Ayodhya Nagar, Bhavanipuram, Ibrahimpatnam and other areas in Vijayawada. Many devotees visited the market to see the idols that are put up for sale as part of the festival.

Several NGOs and traders, on the other hand, were preparing free distribution of clay Ganesha idols in some centres.

“There was a shortage of clay to prepare the idol as there have been heavy rains for the last two days. We are looking for clay as my daughter, Ravali, insisted on doing puja only with the clay idol,” said P. Suryanarayana of Krishnalanka in Vijayawada.

Published – 12 Sep 2026 23:10 IST