While Ganesha idols have become more expensive because of a rise in cost of materials, sculptors are not sure whether they are supposed to charge GST to customers as well. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

This year, not even Ganpati is exempt from the new Goods and Services Tax (GST). Ganesh Chaturthi is just a month away, and the city's mandals are struggling with a 20 per cent rise in costs - not only have Ganesha idols become more expensive because of the tax on raw materials, but mandals will now also have to pay higher tax to hire the decorators who create larger-than-life pandals.