Chinese idols flood Indian markets

Statues of the Hindu elephant god Lord Ganesha are the latest Chinese-made import to score a hit in India, Indian news reports said. In the run up to the Hindu festival of light, Diwali, gift shops are reporting a boom in sales of Chinese-made Ganeshas and other idols. According to one importer quoted by the Hindustan Times, consumers are snapping up the idols because they are of better quality and much cheaper than their Indian-made counterparts. He said there were about 15 Fujian-based producers specializing in making Indian religious idols. But he told the paper that the first batch of Ganeshas had to be returned because the trunk was pointing to the right, rather than the left, and their faces were too Chinese-looking.