4,500 Hyderabad RWAs Choose Clay Ganesh Idols as Dhoolpet Prices Rise 35%
With Vinayaka Chaturthi just five days away, artisans in traditional manufacturing hubs such as Dhoolpet in Hyderabad are witnessing a major surge in demand for eco-friendly clay Ganesh idols, even as production costs and retail prices have climbed by up to 35 percent.
More than 4,500 Resident Welfare Associations across Hyderabad have united to celebrate the festival with 100 percent clay idols this season. By deliberately shunning Plaster of Paris and harmful chemical dyes, the associations have framed the move as community-led action towards greener celebrations, aligning festive observances with environmentally responsible practices.
The widespread shift comes despite escalating financial hurdles for local idol manufacturers, who are bearing higher expenses linked to inflation and labour shortages. According to idol makers in Dhoolpet, surging raw material costs have pushed retail rates significantly above last year's figures. For instance, a 15-foot Ganesh idol that was priced at Rs 1.20 lakh last year is now being sold for Rs 1.65 lakh.
Traditional artisans in Dhoolpet and other parts of the city reported that despite the skyrocketing costs of natural clay and organic pigments, they have continued crafting thousands of idols based on steady bookings. Beyond residential communities, orders have also arrived from civic bodies and government agencies, including the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority and the Telangana State Pollution Control Board.
Demand for Hyderabad's clay idols has also crossed national borders. According to a local manufacturer who has been in the trade for a decade, bulk orders were received from devotees in countries including the United States and the United Kingdom as early as two months in advance. The eco-friendly idols were crafted to specific requested heights and dispatched to customers abroad.
Across hundreds of bustling workshops in the city, sales have reached their peak ahead of the festival, drawing large crowds of devotees to secure idols amid towering stacks of festive crafts.
