Pen is located on Mumbai-Goa highway, 80 km from Mumbai, in Raigad district of Maharashtra. It was an important trade centre before it became hub for Ganesh-idol making. Pen is home to more than 550 karkhanas (workshops), majority of which are located on Kasar Ali and Kumbhar Ali Street – streets in old part of town named after the profession which people earlier practised. These karkhanas employ 10 thousand artisans all-round the year and another 50 thousand during the peak season. Every year 7-8 lakh Ganesh idols of various shapes, sizes and forms are produced generating a revenue of 10 crore. Most of these idols are sold in and around Mumbai and Pune. Nearly 1/4th are exported to US and UK.
As the business of Ganesh idol making is growing rapidly, most of the other shops are relocating outside the town into neighbouring villages. Most popular of these villages is Hamrapur where majority of shops have migrated. Even the idol making kharkhanas on Kasar Ali and Kumbhar Ali would have one workshop in the outskirts of town for making large idols.
Pen
Hamrapur
