[Reader-list] Now, Ganesha too from China

[ab2303 at columbia.edu]

 Source: The Hindu
 (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/11/08/stories/2004110802742200.htm)

 National

 Now, Ganesha too from China
>
>
> LUCKNOW,
>
>
> NOV. 7.
>
>  As if fancy lights and decorations were not enough to pep up
> Diwali
> celebrations, Chinese Ganeshas have flooded the markets to
> provide
> you with a wider choice to select festive gifts.
>
> After literally invading the Indian markets with fancy lights and
> decorative lamps during Diwali festivities about four years ago,
> the Chinese have taken a step further by launching statues of
> Lord
> Ganesha — in all shapes, colour and sizes to catch the fancy
> of the Indian market.
>
> But the Chinese have committed a mistake — instead of
> placing
> Lord Ganesha on his `mouse,' he has been mounted on a horse.
> Though
> such idols are rare.
>
>
> >From dashboard to puja room
>
>
>
> The variety of Ganeshas available are small enough to fit the
> dashboard of your car and big enough to acquire a space in the
> `puja room.' Most of the idols are made of plastic or synthetic
> and
> cost anything between Rs. 40 and Rs. 2,500.
>
> Made of radium, which glows at night, some idols are available
> for
> Rs. 400. ``This is quite similar to the radium peppered posters
> available a few years ago. But a glowing idol looks more
> impressive,'' said Sandip Bansal, a wholesaler.
>
> But if the idea is to go for a fancy gift, then there are statues
> with a built-in chip of pre-recorded `bhajans'. The `bhajans'
> recorded in the chip include `Ganesh Aarti' and the famous
> `Vakratunda Mahakaya' sloka. If you want to be a little more
> indulgent, you can buy idols made of marble dust with a fountain
> attached to it. The fountain, which runs on electricity, showers
> water on Lord Ganesha's feet. ``But it comes at a cost. For such
> idols people have to shell out anything between Rs. 1,500 and Rs
> 2,000,'' says another retailer.
>
>
> `As per specifications'
>
>
>
> Shopkeepers procure these idols from Sarrafa Bazaar in Mumbai.
> ``Chinese businessmen meet the bulk buyers there and collect
> specifications. They manufacture the idols as per the
> specifications only in Maharashtra it is considered auspicious to
> buy Ganesha idols with its trunk curved on the left. The Chinese
> ensure that the trunk in most idols is curved to the left,'' he
> added.
>
>
> `Mongoloid'
>
>
>
> But some shoppers lamented that the Chinese Ganeshas lack the
> `Indian look'. ``The features are Mongoloid if you pay attention
> to
> the details,'' said Kamal Kapoor.
>
> Anything Chinese sells today. Shopkeepers warn that fake Chinese
> Ganesha idols have also flooded the markets. ``Manufacturers in
> Meerut have been producing such idols. But if you know well about
> the original Chinese stuff you can easily find flaws in the
> finish
> and the texture of the colour,'' warned Dharmesh Singh, who runs
> a
> shop in Badshah Nagar area. — UNI
>
>
>
>
>