Jai Ganesh, 2020 Style

Wow, it's almost Ganesh Chaturthi, the festival that seems to usher all other festivals leading up to Diwali. It feels like the first 7 months went by grappling with COVID-19 and the new world order it imposed on us, and before we know it, it's August. With the pandemic raging, this is going to be a different chaturthi, certainly a more somber one, and hopefully one that is celebrated responsibly, from a distance.

As hard as the pandemic is on everyone, artisans who rely on the festive period to make the bulk of their annual income have been hit hard. During the festivities, ganesh idol craftsman receive large orders for the many "pandals" that crop up all over the city. With celebrations rightly cancelled, orders have dried up and these craftsmen are suffering, left holding excess inventory, or at the very least, not earning during this key period. This article by the Times of India has done a good job covering the plight of craftsman in Coimbatore, but I'd think the situation is the same all over the country. 

Let's take a moment to appreciate the skills of these craftsmen, skills that have been handed down from generations. I was hoping to showcase several varieties of ganesh idols, but the lockdown has affected our supply chain as well. So I'm featuring what I could lay my hands on- a wooden ganesh in a tribal style from my personal collection, and one that we have available in Sanskriti Lifestyle, with turquoise inlay work. Looking forward to a day when COVID-19 is a thing of the past, and we can freely share the full breadth and diversity of our artisans. Until then, stay safe!

More about Ganesh Chaturthi on Wikipedia