A worker sells garlands and toran (door garland) at Bohri Aali, ahead of the Ganpati festival, Pune.
PUNE, Maharashtra: As Pune gets ready to celebrate Ganesh Utsav, the city is witnessing another annual movement that is closely connected with the festive economy.
Hundreds of seasonal migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and other parts of the country arrived in Pune ahead of the festival to sell artificial flowers, garlands, decorative material, musical instruments and other products used in the festivals. The festival season that starts with Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 and stretches to the months of October and November until Diwali is a busy time for them.
Days ahead of the festival, the old markets of Ravivar Peth, Bohri Aali and Laxmi Road in Pune, come alive with colour flowers and decoration pieces dotting the busy streets vendors, shoppers and Ganpati is on at full swing.
For these migrants, Ganesh Utsav – Maharashtra’s biggest festival – is not only a time of celebration but also an important period for earning. Many arrive in the city a few weeks before the festival and set up temporary stalls on busy roads, market areas and near residential neighbourhoods.
Workers erect a Ganpati pandal ahead of the festival in Pune.
According to a 2015 study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, the annual revenue from Ganesh festival was around Rs 20,000 crore in the study year, growing annually at a rate of 30%, according to a 2018 research that notes that the 10-day festival sees an overall increase in economic activity in the form of “increased employment, income and production of variety of goods and services.
The seasonal business continues through Ganesh Utsav, Navratri and Diwali, allowing many of them to remain in Pune for several months before returning totheir native places.
Mukhtar Shaikh, migrant from Kanpur, sells flowers in Ravivar Peth ahead of the Ganpati festival, Pune
Among the migrants who have arrived in Pune this year is 62-year-old Mukhatar Shaikh from Kanpur. Shaikh reached the city around 15 days before Ganesh Utsav and has started selling artificial flowers and decoration material. I come every year with my family.
“I have three children and its very difficult to manage expenses and Pune is the best city for my business,” said Mukhatar Shaikh.
At an age when many people would prefer to slow down their working life, Shaikh continues to travel hundreds of kilometres every year in search of business opportunities. For him, the festive season provides an important source of income.
The demand for decorative items increases considerably before Ganesh Utsav. Homes, shops, offices and housing societies are decorated for the festival, while Ganesh mandals also require large quantities of decorative material. This creates opportunities for small traders and temporary vendors.
Jitendra Kumar from Kashi sells artificial flowers at Bohri Aali ahead of Ganpati festival, Pune
Jitendra Kumar, 43, from Kashi, is another seasonal trader who comes to Pune every year. His annual visit has become part of his livelihood strategy. Like many other migrants, he plans his journey according to the festival calendar and stays in the city during the period when sales are expected to be high.
“Pune has a huge market and we earn good money during Ganesh Utsav, Diwali and Navratri,” said a migrant trader from Uttar Pradesh, who did not wish to be identified.
For these seasonal traders, Pune is attractive because of its large population and strong purchasing power. The city’s extensive residential areas, growing suburbs and long-standing tradition of public Ganesh celebrations create a large customer base.
Bablu Singh sells musical instruments at Laxmi Road, ahead of the Ganpati festival, Pune
Another migrant, Bablu Singh, 30, from Bihar, arrived in Pune to sell musical drums for Ganesh Utsav. Musical instruments and traditional items see increased demand during public celebrations, processions and cultural programmes.
“I work as a farm labourer in Bihar and after the summer season, I travel to Pune and sell musical instruments and engage in other small businesses. I found Pune is not that expensive to live,” he said.
The colourful temporary stalls operated by these migrants are a familiar sight in several parts of the city. Artificial flowers in different colours, decorative garlands, hanging ornaments and other festival materials are displayed prominently to attract customers.
The seasonal nature of their business means that they have to carefully plan their expenses. Travelling from their native places to Pune involves transportation costs, while temporary accommodation and food add to their expenses. They also have to invest money in purchasing merchandise and transport it to areas where they expect strong demand.
A worker sells instruments in Ravivar Peth
Despite these challenges, many return to Pune year after year because the festive season offers better earning opportunities than they may find at home. Ganesh Utsav marks the beginning of their busiest period. Once the Ganesh festival concludes, preparations for Navratri begin.
Soon after Navratri comes Diwali, one of the biggest shopping and celebration periods in the country.
Ganesh Utsav in Maharashtra has a particularly strong connection with local communities. Public mandals attract large crowds, while families participate in celebrations at home. The demand for decorations, flowers, lighting and other festive products increases as the festival approaches.
Major cities across India record seasonal migration for festivals. While many migrants working in cities return home to celebrate the festival with their families, there is an almost simultaneous influx of another set of workers seeking an additional income during the festive season.
A garland vendor at Bohri Aali, Pune
The festival offers an economic boost to cities.
Durga Puja in Kolkata, for example, provides a temporary economic boost to the city. The pandals, idol-making, and related festival activities create seasonal jobs for hundreds of people. Migrant workers from rural areas—many from farms, brick kilns, and small factories of West Bengal — flock to Kolkata to meet the high demand for labour during the festive season.
And then there are those who have brought the festival to the cities they migrated to years ago.
Countless celebrations of Chhath, the biggest festival of Bihar, dot major cities like Delhi where lakhs of migrants congregate to worship the rising and the setting sun.
A workers sells toran (decoration for the door) in Ravivar Peth
The religious gathering of Kumbh mela last March drew not just pilgrims but toy sellers, chaat makers and sanitation workers from across Uttar Pradesh and also neighboring states who turned up in large numbers to tap the world’s largest religious gathering to boost income.
Photos & Text: Sadanand Godse
Sadanand Godse is a Pune-based photo journalist
