Salem traders claim sluggish sale of Vinayaka idols this year

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Traders in Salem said that they witnessed a tepid sale of idols for Vinayaka Chaturthi festival, to be celebrated on Monday (September 14), compared with sales in previous years.

Major idol markets in Salem are located in Chinna Kadai Veethi, First Agraharam, Second Agraharam, Nethimedu, Kondalampatti, Gugai, Dadagapatti, Alagapuram, Five Roads, Shevapet, Omalur, Mettur, Edappadi, and Sankari.

Deputy president of Salem District Vinayakar Idols Manufacturers and Traders Association T. Kannan said his family has been selling idols for the past 50 years. “In the past, we sold around 600 Vinayaka idols for the festival. This year, until Sunday, we sold around 100. As per the government instruction, the maximum height of the idol was nine feet. Based on size, idols are priced in the range of ₹100-₹20,000,” he said.

One reason he cited for poor sales was the number of shops selling the idols. “Earlier, only a few shops sold the idols, but now there are hundreds.”

Sakthivel, another trader, said that due to the mounting expenses for celebrating the festival, people showed less interest in buying large idols and, instead, bought small and medium-sized ones, which were also easy to move in cars or on motorcycles for immersion.

Moreover, the guidelines issued by police and the district administration were also strict. So the public, especially the youth, were not willing to buy idols to install on their streets during the festival, he added.

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