Hyderabad: The markets in the city are abuzz with different themes and designs of Bappa and decorative items as people thronged the busy market areas in Begum Bazar, Nagole, Dhoolpet, Monda Market, Kukatpally, Hayathnagar and other areas as hardly two days are left for the Ganesh Chaturthi Navratri Festival.

The Ganesh Navaratri starts from Ganesh Chaturthi falling on Wednesday where the devotees worship their ‘Pratham Pujya’ for nine days. The next ten days will see the atmosphere divine as the devotees will be immersed in devotion. Already Bappa has arrived in the pandals in many of the areas in the city with devotees taking out ‘Aagaman’ of lord into their homes and open areas near their homes and different streets of the city.

The prices of the Ganesh idols were ranging between Rs 2,000 to Rs 2 lakh in the market. With the market full of idols, the sellers were worried whether they would be able to sell off all their idols by Chaturthi day. KK Mondal of Kolkata Murthy Sales said that with the availability of idols in different parts of the city, this year the sale is not as quick as last year. People are coming and inquiring but not finalizing their purchase, he added.

Though it was a Sunday, a holiday for many, the families, pandal organizers were seen busy purchasing for the festival. There was a huge rush near the Deevandevdi, a place for the tent and cloth material used for pandals. The pandal organisers were seen purchasing decorative clothes with prices ranging from as low as Rs 12 per meter to Rs 250 per meter. The organizers were also seen taking tarpaulin covers, carpets etc.

The place near Sheran Hotel near Mozamjahi Market, Begum Bazar was seen busy with buyers purchasing decorative items including hangings, serial lights, LED lights. The road side vendors were seen selling the attractive decorative pieces in the price range of Rs 50 to 200.

The sweets business also thrives during the festival time. The Laddu craze is high during the Ganesh Navratri, which is auctioned after poojas for ten days. A sweet shop, Satyanarayan Mithai Bhandar, had a laddu designed in the form of a pot, which was made on the request of the devotees.

This pot shaped laddu weighed 18 kg. The shopkeeper said that they were all prepared to cater to heavy rush for the next two days.