Festive spirit pervades Visakhapatnam on the eve of Vinayaka Chavithi

People throng markets in large numbers to buy various puja items

An air of festivity pervaded the city on Tuesday and people thronged markets in large numbers on the eve of Vinayaka Chavithi to buy the required items for the puja.

Vendors of ‘pathri’ (leaves, flowers and other materials) were seen making a brisk business, cashing in on the situation. To make it easy for buyers, sale of puja material has gone online with some traders offering to supply all the required materials at the doorstep of buyers.

Some of the vendors offered to sell ‘all in one pack’ for the convenience of festival buyers. As usual, the prices of materials needed for the puja were hiked forcing the poor to be choosy in selecting the items.

Several Ganesh pandals are expected to spring up on the streets by Wednesday. However, the hike in the cost of puja materials and the comparatively higher cost of clay idols may not see setting up of many pandals as in the past.

An imposing 89-foot idol of Lord Ganesha will enthrall devotees at Gajuwaka from Wednesday. “Ramesh, an artiste from Tamil Nadu, has been making the idol for the past 45 days. Devotees can see the idol from tomorrow till September 18. The same evening, it would be dissolved in situ with the help of a fire tender and the clay would be immersed at sea,” says Ganesh, festival organiser.

The markets and Rythu Bazaars were seen brimming with festival buyers. The vendors offered five or six varieties of fruits, required for the festival, at ₹50 as a package, and a similar package was offered for leaves, of different trees, used for the festival.

Though Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols were seen at some places, clay idols made their presence felt in every nook and corner. The clay idols were also tastefully done but the cost is comparatively higher.