Ganesh idols sold in Sangam Vihar, Delhi: Make in India, but the gods are covered in plastic sheets!

From the archive record

Plastic was to have been banned, but these enormous Ganesha idols are covered in plastic, to protect them from the rain. Clearly, the plastic will be dumped just as the idols will, once their work is done. After the rains stop, the craftsmen remove the plastic coverings from their masterpieces and open them out to light and clientele. Last minute touching up paint-work on Ganesha murthis or statues by men and women painters. Is it time to buy Ganesh idols for Ganesh Chaturthi, or should we just go online, pray virtually or over Zoom and save the environment from harmful chemicals from discarding the statues? A muted Ganesh Chaturthi it will be, but the enthusiasm is now not just present in Maharashtra but has become infectious and spread across India. These women in north India have bough