As Ganesh Chaturthi nears, the festive buzz is unusually muted. Vendors at the Ashtami fair and Panaji market say sales are sluggish, costs are rising, and customers are increasingly turning to cheaper online and outside markets.
“Business very low, very slow. Next store, nobody there,” sighed a stall owner from Mumbai at the Ashtami fair, his words capturing the mood across the grounds.
Traders blame five days of heavy rain, aggressive online discounts, and unrelenting competition. “Over there it’s cheap,” said another stall owner. “Quality is different, but people don’t care. Price matters first.”
Many of the vendors hail from Mumbai, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with Wadala in Mumbai being a major hub. “Most of us are from Wadala. This time, rates went down because of rain,” explained Shahid, a shop owner.
Sachin Gupta, from Mumbai’s Gateway area, raised his prices by 30–35% to cover higher costs. “But sales are nothing. Rain left us empty for two days.”
From Bihar, Jeevas Kumar reported: “Business down. Same rates as last year, ₹400 per bag. No discount.” His stall was nearly deserted.
Vendors spoke of inflation squeezing both sellers and buyers. “What was ₹50 is now ₹70. But customers want ₹40–50. Profit not possible,” said Abhishek Sahni from UP.
Mithun from Mapusa noted that only weekends brought some relief: “Rest of the time, discounts and bargaining eat margins.” Mohammad Asif agreed: “If the price is ₹300, customers push for ₹250. Bargaining compulsory.”
Jeweller Waseem from Kandivli said discounts were the only way to keep regulars coming back. But a veteran seller of 50 years declared this the worst season yet. “Last year, four days of continuous business. This time, nobody.” His mala necklaces, usually steady sellers at ₹100–₹2000, barely moved.
Some, like Nisar Bhai, reported steady sales. Others, like Anil from Rajasthan, blamed the rain and municipal restrictions for slow starts. “We hope Ganpati days clear our stock,” he said. At Panaji Market, fourth-generation seller Meena Muralidhar Desai struck a more optimistic note. “Crowds aren’t here yet. People are buying food. Later they will come to us.” She said prices were mostly steady, with only firecrackers up by ₹20. “Children’s demands decide how much families spend.”
Still, most vendors admitted the trend was hard to ignore. “Every year business drops,” said one elderly seller. “Online, cheap markets outside — we can’t match them.”
From Mumbai to Bihar, from Mapusa to Panaji, the refrain is the same: a fair where colours still shine, but sales no longer do.