Nilesh Yadav
Every September, as the monsoon slowly withdraws and skies turn brighter, India begins to drum to a different beat. The sound of dhols, chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya!”, the smell of fresh modaks, and streets lined with colourful pandals tell you the festival season has arrived.
For many outside India, especially in the so-called “rational” West, these scenes may look like blind faith, an indulgence in rituals without reason or rhyme. But scratch the surface and you realise something deeper. India’s festivals aren’t just about culture or spirituality—they’re formidable engines of economic activity.
And perhaps no festival demonstrates this better than Ganesh Chaturthi.
This year, the 10-day celebration of the elephant-headed deity is expected to power a staggering ₹25,000 crore worth of business, with projections touching ₹45,000 crore by 2025. That’s not a typo. A single festival, centred around devotion to Ganpati, now fuels an economy larger than the GDP of some small countries.
Consider Mumbai, Pune, and Hyderabad—the heartlands of Ganesh festivities. Together, these three cities alone are driving a ₹7,000 crore festive market this year. Idol-making contributes over ₹500 crore; sweets, especially the beloved modak, add ₹2,000 crore; catering and snacks another ₹3,000 crore. Festival merchandise—from tiny trinkets to elaborate decorations—generates ₹3,000 crore. Event management companies, which now design pandals with themes ranging from Bollywood to Chandrayaan, command ₹5,000 crore. Add to that the sheer volume of local household spending, close to ₹10,000 crore, and you begin to see the scale.
Even Indian Railways feels Ganpati’s pull. This year, more than 380 special trains were pressed into service to handle the Konkan rush, ferrying lakhs of devotees back home. Airlines, too, quietly hike fares during these weeks, knowing full well that emotion will win over economy.
But the true charm of Ganesh Chaturthi isn’t just in these big-ticket numbers. It lies in the lives touched at the grassroots.
In a small village in Pen, Maharashtra—the hub of idol-making—families of artisans work round the clock months in advance, sculpting clay into divine form. For them, Bappa isn’t just god; he is bread and butter.
In Mumbai’s bylanes, the local mithaiwala who sells modaks during this period makes almost half his annual income in just ten days. Caterers and decorators, often small neighbourhood operators, see a surge in orders they couldn’t imagine otherwise. Even daily-wage workers—painters, electricians, truck drivers—find steady work, thanks to pandal set-ups and processions.
Festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi democratise the economy. They ensure money circulates across all levels of society, from the humble artisan to the large event firm. It’s micro and macro economics dancing together to the beat of the dhol.
What’s fascinating is how a festival once suppressed under colonial rule became a symbol of resistance. Lokmanya Tilak popularised public Ganesh festivities in the late 19th century to unite Indians against the British. That same tradition today unites not just communities but entire supply chains—from farmers supplying flowers to tech startups creating apps that live-stream aartis.
For a nation often accused of clinging to its “irrational” traditions, this is proof that faith and festivity need not clash with modernity and progress. They can, in fact, power it.
India’s festivals tell us something profound: culture and commerce are not enemies. In a land where faith is lived, not theorised, celebration itself becomes a form of sustenance. The joy of welcoming Ganpati is also the joy of keeping a small business alive, of ensuring that money keeps moving, and of sustaining millions of livelihoods.
So, the next time critics dismiss India’s devotion as blind faith, perhaps they should look at the balance sheets. For every modak sold, every clay idol sculpted, and every pandal decorated, there’s an unseen story of survival, dignity, and economic vibrancy.
Ganpati Bappa doesn’t just bless homes.
He blesses businesses. He blesses livelihoods.
And, in his own way, he blesses the Indian economy.
Faith. Finance. Festivity. That’s the real magic of Ganesh Chaturthi.
