NEW DELHI: The festive season of this year has started with the 10-day grand celebrations of Ganesh festival across the country from today giving a high hope for the business community for big business this year. With this festival, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has once again re-continue its boycott of chinese goods campaign.
On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi today, people across the country, especially the traders, placed the idol of Shri Ganesh ji in their homes. Ganapati is known as a protector from evils. The CAIT had urged traders across the country to place Shri Ganesh ji in their homes and urged for peace and happiness in the country and wished for sustainable growth in business. The Ganpati festival, which started from today, will be celebrated with great pomp and show across the country till 9th September and on the day of Anant Chaturdashi 9th September, the idols of Ganpati ji will be immersed.
CAIT’ National president BC Bhartia and Secretary General Shri Praveen Khandelwal said that according to an estimate, more than 20 crore Ganesh idols are purchased in the country every year, which generates an estimated business of more than Rs.300 crores. They said that since the last two years, the trend of installing eco-friendly idols of Ganesh ji in large quantities across the country is growing very fast. Earlier, large quantities of Ganesha idols made of plaster of paris, stone, marble and other items were imported from China due to cheap prices but due to the campaign of boycott of Chinese goods by CAIT in the last two years, the import of Chinese Ganesh idols stands nil and the local craftsmen, artisans and potters working in their houses across cities all over the Country involving their family women make idols of Ganesh ji from clay and cow dung, which are easily immersed.
They further said that eco-friendly idols are being made which instead of being immersed are mixed in trees and plants, which does not harm the environment too. Because of these idols, lakhs of people get business across the country.
Chairman of CAIT Culture and Spirituality Committee and eminent astrologer Acharya Durgesh Tare said that some special things are used in installing Ganesh idols without which, the worship of Ganesh Chaturthi is considered incomplete. These items include Gangajal, lamp, incense sticks, camphor, chowki for setting up the idol, red cloth, Durva, Janeu, Roli, rice, earthen pot, coconut, Fruits, betel nuts, laddus, molly, panchamrit, red sandalwood, Panchmeva are necessary from which Ganpati is established.
Mr. Bhartia and Mr. Khandelwal also said that from August 31 to September 9, Ganesh Utsav will be celebrated vigorously in the country mainly in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh etc on a grand scale. In all these states, large pandals of Ganpati are held where a large number of people come and have darshan of Shri Ganesh ji.