Eco-friendly Mahakaaya, Suryakoti Samaprabha!

-

eco friendly ganpati
Source

The end of southwest monsoon heralds the arrival of the most lovable god in the Hindu pantheon. Ganesh or Ganapati or Vinayaka arrives into town in all glory with pandals erected on every street corner with loud mikes and vivid flower decoration. Vinayaka Chaturthi (Ganapati’s birthday) is celebrated with full religious fervour in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Goa.

After reigning over earth for a week’s time, Ganesha is bid adieu with much fanfare and his idols are taken around the city in grand processions to be immersed in nearby lakes and rivers. However, crass commercial activity has crept into this pious occasion with Ganesha idols made of plaster of paris and painted with toxic chemicals. When such idols are immersed into lakes and rivers, these chemicals pollute the water and create irreversible damage to the environment.

Eco friendly ganapati - Clay Station
Eco friendly ganapati – Clay Station

Thankfully, rising environmental awareness has brought in some sense among Ganapati devotees in the past few years. Eco-friendly handmade clay idols – ‘Parisara Ganapati’ – have begun to replace the moulded chemical idols. Since 2009, I was fortunate enough to participate in voluntary movements to build awareness about Parisara Ganapati. In Bangalore, I was part of the LIFE Group, which campaigned among school children to promote handmade clay idols of Ganesha.

Hyderabad is where I saw the fullest extent of the environment damage done by chemical idols which are immersed in the Hussain Sagar lake. Thankfully, a youth organisation ­– ‘Youth For Seva’ took up the task of educating youngsters about the dangers of moulded chemical idols and vigorously promoted handmade clay idols. Every year, Youth For Seva volunteers assemble children in schools to conduct workshops to make clay Ganesha idols. It was heart-warming to see privileged children from elite schools joining hands with underprivileged children studying in government schools to make these idols.

Eco friendly ganapati decoration
Parisara ganapati

Today, I am thrilled to see that workshops of this kind are happening across cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai. There are creative people like Ganesan Manickavasagam of ClayStation in Bangalore and K Muralidhar in Hyderabad who conduct regular workshops to teach clay Ganesha idol making to both children and adults alike. Experimenting with recycled material, Muralidhar has innovated on a special type of eco-friendly clay, which is a mixture Multani mitti, cotton and wood powder.

Organisations such as EcoExist in Pune and Parisara Ganapati in Bangalore now undertake commercial orders for clay Ganesha idols. People like us who are concerned about environmental destruction can offer no excuses now – you can either learn how to make eco-friendly handmade clay idols or you can buy readymade Ganesha idols. Let’s pledge to ensure that this year’s Ganesha Chaturthi will be an eco-friendly festival!

Where to buy Eco-friendly Ganesha

We have received many enquiries about people eager to know where to buy an eco-friendly Ganesha idol and learn how to make clay idols at home. The rising awareness about preventing harm to the environment seems to be the reason behind this heightened interest. We are extremely happy that we Indians are at last showing concern about celebrating our festivals in a harmless way.

Here is a list of places you can buy eco-friendly Ganapati idols –

  • Located in Pune, eCoexist is a social enterprise that has done some pioneering work in building awareness preserving the environment. This enterprise has brought buyers and sellers on a single platform, empowering voluntary organisations to find a market place for environmentally-friendly products. eCoexist organises idol making workshops to teach Ganesha idol sculpting techniques to both children and adults  alike. The most unique feature is their Ganesha idol made of papier mâché, which is not only light to carry, but also environmentally-friendly!
  • ‘Youth For Seva’ is a youth organisation that has taken up the task of educating youngsters about the dangers of moulded chemical idols and vigorously promoted handmade clay idols. Every year, Youth For Seva volunteers assemble children in schools located in Bangalore and Hyderabad to conduct workshops to make clay Ganesha idols.
  • Mumbai is the global capital of Sarvajanik Ganesh Festival, where the celebrations reach a culminating point. However, the ganesha idols immersed in the Arabian Sea causes massive pollution every year. Over the years, Mumbaikars are adopting to eco-friendly ways of celebrating the festival thanks to the efforts of Ecoganesha.org, managed by the NirmalJyot Trust. The trust has been coordinating with numerous local Ganesha communities.

Factfile –
www.parisaraganapati.net

Image credits: The copyright for the images used in this article belong to their respective owners. Best known credits are given under the image. For changing the image credit or to get the image removed from Caleidoscope, please contact us.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Sir/Madam,

    This is manjunath, a pure clay ganesha idols maker. I am staying in Kr Puram (Bangalore) I can provide a clay ganesha for corporate companies as bulk order. You can get from 1/2 feet to 5 feet. So if you interested please contact to this address.

    Mobile: 7411567297
    9066476082
    Regards,
    Manjunath

    • Hi Manjunath
      Great to know about your eco-friendly Ganesha Idols, we will spread a word about your service to our readers.
      Thanks
      Editor

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

INSPIRING READS

TRENDING TOPICS

Featuring Indian Artists
Explore Indian Art Galleries
Explore Indian Folk Art Forms
Explore Indian Folk Dance Forms
Explore Indian Crafts
Explore Indian Fabric Art Forms