from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Aug 24: Overall inflation has taken toll on the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, with Goan worshippers forced to shell out 25 per cent more, this year.

Hike in the essential commodities coupled with the rise in Ganesh idol prices along with price hike on other items put together works out to spending 25 per cent more to the last year to celebrate 10-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival which starts from August 27.

Biggest hole in the pocket would be due to hike in essential commodities prices. "There is on an average 30 per cent hike in essential commodities prices compared to last year," revealed the statistics available in Bardez Bazar, a cooperative society, running chain of retail outlets in Goa.

Items like ``Udiddal'' which was costing Rs 25.50 last year is sold for Rs 45. Other items like Moong is costing Rs 32.50 this year compared to Rs 23.50 last year.

Bardez bazaar officials stated that chana dal costing Rs 23.80 last year is now 30.50, white peas chana Rs 14.50 is now Rs 15.70, wheat from Rs 10.25 to Rs 13.63, which will dig in bigger hole in the commoners' pockets.

Just now the eating items, the firecrackers vastly used for Ganesh Chaturthi, in Goa, have also shown upward pricing trend. "This year, the costs have gone up by 10 to 15 per cent…. Rise in diesel have contributed to the transportation cost which is recovered from customers' pocket," stated a trader from Panaji market.

Similarly, Ganesh Idols, worshipped in almost all the houses, are costly by 15 per cent this year. "Price of paints have gone up… Everything is costly.. how can we sell   idols at the same rate," questioned Mahesh Chari, a Ganesh idol artisan from Shiroda village in North Goa.