Ganesh Chaturthi marks the beginning of the festive season for the real estate market.
As home owners prepare to welcome Lord Ganesha, the Ganapati puja at home has also witnessed a gradual transformation, with more people opting to use decorative and designer puja accessories. Sparkling materials, appealing colour palettes and innovative designs, have replaced the rather plain temple accessories.
Today, there are professional designers and artists, who design stunning puja accessories. “Fancy sacred accessories add to the divine atmosphere and positivity. Nowadays, people are particular about theme-based Ganapati decorations,” says Ahmedabad-based Divya Agrawal of Krafters Attic. Agrawal and her partner Rashmi Rungta, have designed accessories for clients, based on themes such as chocolate and even the Rio Olympics, apart from the usual themes like red and yellow or gold and white, which are always in demand.
See also: Eco-friendly Ganpati decorations for your home
Designer accessories
“People now prefer designer thalis, diyas, incense stick holders, rangolis, torans and even haldi kum-kum kits. Kundan stones, zardozi, crystals, handmade flowers, silk, etc., are also being used, to make the accessories visually appealing,” says Agarwal, adding that ready-to-use kits are also available, to help home owners to easily decorate the temple and get the feel of the festivities.
Puja accessories are available for every budget. Accessories can also be based on a colour theme, explains Ashni Desai of Ceremonial Hues, Mumbai, who works with her mother Kirti Desai.
“For example, a peacock theme will revolve around blues, greens and purples. Hence, this theme can incorporate orchid flowers, shaded fabrics and peacock feathers. There are also floral themes like lotus, where Ganesha sits on a lotus flower throne and the décor revolves around the same flower. Nowadays, people even prefer to customise the prasad boxes and garlands for the Ganesh idol to match with the colour of Ganpati’s dhoti. With subtle touches, one can create a cheerful and refreshing décor for celebration,” states Ashni Desai.
See also: Which direction should God face in pooja room?
A colourful entrance, to your home
Torans too, can be designed with a variety of materials, including mirrors, gemstones, pearls, metal flowers and beads. You can also mix glowing fairy lights and paper lanterns, with traditional torans, for an ethereal look. In addition to torans for the main door, the trend is to have colourful and matching side strings for the doors and also rangolis.
Different brands and designers, have introduced aesthetically designed puja accessories in silverware, with gold polish, embellishments of enamel, colour stones and also combinations of silver with other metals. A wide range of puja accessories in silver are also available – from diyas, kalash, thalis and carved bells to flower baskets and incense holders.
Décor tips for Ganesh Chaturthi
- You can coordinate the colours of the accessories and the Ganpati mandap. The designs, motifs and patterns of accessories, should blend together.
- You can use ready rangolis and make a border around it with fresh flower petals and add hand-painted earthen diyas, to brighten up your home.
- Arrange the diyas in various patterns like lotus, peacock and swastikas.
- Decorate the pooja thali by painting it with oil paint or even poster colours. You can also cover the thali with a plain cotton fabric, in auspicious colours like red, yellow and green. Then, decorate it by pasting studded stones in shape of a Swastika, Om, kalash or sun.
- Use coconut shells as diyas or add turmeric powder to wheat flour dough and make diyas.
- Decorate chowkis with gemstones, mirrors and Swarovski.
- Eco-friendly papier mâché articles can be used, to decorate the house and the puja room.
- Use potli bags made of velvet and jute for distributing prasad.
- Avoid adding too many thematic accessories in the puja area. Keep it elegant, subtle and yet, strikingly attractive.
Purnima Goswami Sharma is a freelance writer based in Mumbai, who has been contributing to various newspapers, magazines and portals for the last two decades. Besides being a research writer for various TV shows, she has been a visiting faculty at SNDT for Communication Skills. She hold a master’s degree in English Literature from Mumbai University and a diploma in Communications and Journalism. She writes on diverse subjects like real estate, interiors, education, lifestyle, health, entertainment and environment.
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