Ganeshotsav is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over India. The festival is celebrated with great joy and zeal in cities like Pune and Mumbai, and other cities in Maharashtra. This religious and cultural event also attracts a huge crowd due to its fascinating business aspects. Whether it is a household or a public Ganesh idol, great enthusiasm prevails among all Ganesh devotees from the day of arrival till the immersion ceremony.

The work of bringing people from all walks of life under one mandap has been carried out since the pre-independence era, starting with Lokmanya Tilak. Through these mandaps, many leaders have emerged in politics and social work in society.

During these 10-day celebrations, this year extended to 12 days, business worth crores of rupees in turnover takes place. Small and big businessmen, especially flower designers, florists, wholesalers, flower suppliers, and flower growers, benefit from it. Sculptors, floral designers who do flower decoration, traditional flower sellers who make garlands, sellers of puja materials, and sweet shop owners, among others, earn good profits. Floral designers coming from states like West Bengal travel to Maharashtra for this work and find good employment.

In a city like Pune, the first five Ganpati Mandals are famous, as is Lalbaugcha Raja in a city like Mumbai. From the welcome procession to the immersion procession on the 10th day, a large quantity of traditional as well as modern cut flowers is used for modern flower arrangements and decorations.

In the context of this tradition, at all levels, whether it is buying the combined array of flowers and plant parts, earthen idols, or the plastic flowers blooming everywhere, there is a strong trend among citizens toward using organic and indigenous-and-foreign flowers for decoration. Along with traditional marigold, tuberose, aster, chrysanthemum, mogra, lotus, hibiscus (shoe flower), jaswand, and champa, there is also huge demand for flowers like Dutch rose, gerbera, carnation, anthurium, lilies, baby's breath, and sunflowers. For puja, 21 types of leaves (patri), such as basil, durva, and belpatra, are used.

There is also huge demand for vegetables, fruits, sweets and modaks, and silver ornaments. This year, due to low rainfall, the production of flowers like marigold has declined, and demand has increased, benefiting flower producers from various parts of Maharashtra and neighboring states like Karnataka.

"This year we are seeing lower rates for fresh flowers compared to last year," said Pandharinath Mhaske, Maharashtra Head, India Florist Association.
 

Source: www.floraldaily.com