Goa, Aug. 26 -- As Ganesh Chaturthi nears, the festive buzz is unusually muted. Vendors at the Ashtami fair and Panaji market say sales are sluggish, costs are rising, and customers are increasingly turning to cheaper online and outside markets.

"Business very low, very slow. Next store, nobody there," sighed a stall owner from Mumbai at the Ashtami fair, his words capturing the mood across the grounds.

Traders blame five days of heavy rain, aggressive online discounts, and unrelenting competition. "Over there it's cheap," said another stall owner. "Quality is different, but people don't care. Price matters first."

Many of the vendors hail from Mumbai, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with Wadala in Mumbai being a major hub. "Most ...