Eluru, September 11, 2013: The `price rise’ has turned out to be a major ‘obstacle’ for the devout to perform pooja for the lord Ganesh during the Vinayaka Chaviti.

The sharp fall in the currency value in the form of skyrocketing prices of the pooja material has been widely felt this time.

The obstacles caused by the Samaikhynahdra movement in transport of different goods are viewed as a major cause for the lord Ganesh to become out of reach for the commoners.

According to B. Nagaveni, housewife from Ramachandraraopet area in the city, the cost of the pooja material has crossed Rs 200 over Rs 100-125 last year.

An elbow length of flowers costs anything more than Rs 50 and the flowers in two such lengths at least are required for any household to perform pooja.

Similarly, patri, an assortment of leaves of different kinds is priced at Rs 30, palavelluva Rs 30.

Ms. Nagaveni said many women in their locality avoided including apple and pomegranate whose cost exceeded Rs 20 each into the list of unripe fruits for decoration of the Palavelli as is the practice.

The shift in use of the Ganesh idols from the popular models made of plaster of Paris (PoP) to the images made with clay is the highlight of the celebrations this year.

Certain civil society organisations have offered the clay idols to the devotees for free in a bid to promote environmental awareness and save the Tammilleru river from the environmentally hazardous material used in the PoP models being dumped in the stream every year.

Source: The Hindu, September 11, 2013