Now hiring a music band costs a bomb

Hyderabad: Bands, large gathering, chants of 'Ganapati Bappa Mourya', dance performances, pandal visits---these are things that automatically come to our mind when we talk about Ganesh Chaturthi. Unlike the last two years when the celebrations were a low-key affair, now there are grand celebrations taking place everywhere. However, as Covid hit all walks of life economically, the prices of everything space rocketed. Ganesh idol prices tripled this year; the demand for band rentals and the amount they charge has also increased.

A few dhol organizations said "as we could not earn anything for our livelihood in the last two years, this year the demand and the amount of our band has increased. Devotees in the city will now have to pay extra to the 'dhol' organizers as their demand has also risen. Increasing rentals of bands in the city have surprised many Ganesh festival organizers.

From 'Shari Band' to the traditional 'dappu' and 'Marfa', the bands are charging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000. They collect Rs 2,000 per head for the days before the main immersion and for the last day, it will be Rs 4,000 for a few hours. The price doubles if one book a DJ and a sound system.

Kevin Kavidi, a devotee said, "last year I paid Rs 20,000 for a 10-member band. The same group is demanding Rs 40,000 now which is Rs 4,000 per head, saying that the demand has increased. The band members say these are the only few occasions that help them earn their living for the year."

Raju, the founder of Dhol Players, said, "as the demand and cost of everything has increased, we have raised our rentals. I have a 15-member group. Before Covid, we used to charge 1,500-2,000 per person. But as we could not earn for a living during the pandemic, this year our charge has also gone up. Now we charge Rs 2,000-2,500 per head. which sums up to Rs 30,000-40,000. Our demand also increases based on the number of hours we play".

Mohan, a devotee. said the prices increase as it gets closer to the immersion day. For other days they charge a package price of around Rs 2,000-2,500 per head, but for the immersion they ask us to pay Rs 4,000. Usually the duration is five-six hours, however, if extended, they demand extra payment.

Apart from commercial bands, there are a few volunteer ones. One among which is the Mitraangan- Maharashtrians of Hyderabad Band. Ambarish Lahankar, the founder of Mitraangan, said, we mostly go for the celebrations voluntarily. We do not do it for money; it is just showcasing our tradition and devotion towards Bappa."

"Except for a few places, like big societies, we ask for Rs 40,000-50,000 just to cover our expenses of band cover and the around  150 band leaf which costs around Rs 1,500 per piece which sums up to around Rs 3 lakh."