NASHIK: Nashik police commissioner Deepak Pandey would be inaugurating the stall of Ganesh idols made by inmates of the Nashik Road central prison on Friday.
Over 600 Ganesh idols of two and three feet height have been prepared. Superintendent of the Nashik Road Central Prison Pramod Wagh said that the speciliaty this year is the low prices of the idols made from Shadu clay.
For the past few years, the jail inmates have been preparing the idols ahead of the Ganesh festival. They have received overwhelming response from the citizens. There is high demand for idols made from Shadu clay because they are eco-friendly and can be immersed even at home.
Jail authorities said that they do no compete with the other stall owners and do not look to make profit. Citizens approach the jail authorities for the idols.
In 2017, the inmates had prepared 150 idols for the first time and set up the stall. They were received with enthusiasm. A year later, close to 1,000 idols were prepared. In 2019, the inmates made 800.
Last year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on celebrations, the number of idols was scaled down to 550. This year too, only 600 idols have been prepared.
Jail authorities said that some inmates, who were skilled in making these idols, were released on parole due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Jail authorities said that the remaining artists have been working since December last year to prepare the idols for this year’s Ganesh festival.
Other senior officials of the jail would also be present at the inauguration of the Lord Ganapati stall on Friday.
