Instamart data shows 176% jump in eco-friendly Ganesh idol orders this festival
Instamart order data for Ganeshotsav shows a sharp rise in eco-friendly idols and mawa modaks, led by Bengaluru.
This Ganeshotsav, people showed greater environmental awareness in the items they brought home to welcome Bappa, according to Instamart's order data. Demand for eco-friendly clay idols rose the most, up 176 percent. Mawa modak was the most-ordered modak flavour of the year, with demand up 145 percent.
On the morning of the festival, deliveries of everything from flowers to modaks followed the exact sequence of the puja itself, as if the puja were unfolding in real time. Orders came in for flowers first, then puja items, and finally modaks for the offering. Bengaluru topped festive purchases, followed by Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Gurgaon and Kochi.
Ready-made clay idols accounted for as much as 90 percent of total demand, followed by eco idols meant to be painted at home. This showed that eco-friendly Ganpati idols are finding a place in more and more homes. The biggest growth came from cities outside Ganeshotsav's traditional strongholds. Orders for eco Ganpati idols rose 1,718 percent in Delhi, 1,305 percent in Kolkata, 1,136 percent in Noida and 1,132 percent in Bhubaneswar.
Among sweets, mawa modak led, followed by classic, kesar, kaju, assorted and mango modaks. Tastes varied by city. In Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad, mawa modak stayed on top. Delhi and Gurgaon leaned towards kesar modak, while Pune, Chennai, Kolkata and Nagpur preferred classic modak. Central Goa showed a different trend altogether, with kaju modak the top choice.
Puja thalis also saw strong demand. On Ganesh Chaturthi, September 14, 2026, flower orders peaked at 868 orders per minute at 7:42 am. At 8:48 am, as families across homes began welcoming Bappa, demand for eco-friendly clay idols peaked. Demand for puja items such as camphor, wicks and incense sticks was highest at 9:45 am. And at 10:39 am, as the time for the offering arrived, modak orders peaked, with mawa modak leading, followed by kesar and classic modaks. These minute-by-minute order patterns traced the rhythm of the puja unfolding in homes across the country.
