Ganeshotsav 2026: Murtikars Struggle With The Rising Cost Of Going Green
In a Girgaon workshop that has been turning out Ganpati idols since before Independence, Pradeep Ramkrishna Maduskar keeps returning to one sum. "If a PoP murti can be made twelve in a day, clay murtis are only two or three a day," says Maduskar, 73, who runs RV Maduskar Art, the business his father started 88 years ago. "That is why they are costly." It is the clearest explanation of Mumbai's…
Murtikars, artisans who create Ganesh idols, are grappling with the rising cost of adopting eco-friendly materials for the festival Ganeshotsav. Pradeep Ramkrishna Maduskar, a veteran murtikar, explains that PoP (Plaster of Paris) idols are cheaper, faster to produce and sellable at the same price or higher compared to clay idols.
The scarcity of skilled murtikars who can work with clay is another constraint, pushing up the price of eco-friendly idols. The demand for clay idols leads to a steep increase in prices, starting from around ₹2,000 for a modest handcrafted idol. However, there is a growing demand for eco-friendly idols due to environmental concerns, and some murtikars have already shifted to shadu or other eco-friendly materials.
Despite the switch, there is uncertainty about whether the remaining artisans can afford or adopt the change. The scientific studies highlight the toxicity caused by the synthetic, oil-based paints used in PoP idols, while clay idols dissolve faster in water. The supply chain of shadu idols also involves mining a non-renewable mineral with environmental and miner-health costs.
The civic response includes distributing clay and natural colors, but there has been no significant rise in clay collection for idols. The cost of not transitioning to eco-friendly idols falls on the public, with the BMC having to dispose of PoP remains and facing challenges in biological disintegration.
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