Goa is gearing up for Ganesh Chaturthi

Five-year-old, Arkay Shet, from Khumbarwado in Bicholim, is always excited to see his father painting, and even helps with the painting with his much-smaller paint brush on the recently dried Ganesha idols.

“He is very excited around Ganesh Chaturthi. He likes to help us, and so we let him. Of course, we paint it over with proper colours, but this is where he will learn about the tradition and keep it alive in the years to come,” says Amar Shet, whose family has been making Ganesha idols for generations now, about 1,000 a year.

With less than 10 days for Chaturthi, devotees across the state share Arkay’s excitement, in anticipation of welcoming Ganpati bappa into their homes. From decorating their homes to setting up the matolis and makhars to choosing the idols and preparing a traditional fare – families are gearing up to celebrate the festival.

The markets too are full, with colourful decorations, garlands and flowers, torans and other items. Among these, the makhars are the most sought after. Though many locals now opt to make eco-friendly makhars from cardboard and papier mâché, others prefer buying them at the market. “We have recently brought a custom-made makhar made of cardboard from a friend, for around ₹3,000.

We plan to use this for at least two or three years. It is better to buy cardboard than thermocol which is easily available and cheap, but can harm the environment,” says Kalpita K, from Margao.