Hyderabad: Eco-friendly trends emerge in Ganesha idol immersion

Hyderabad: Instead of immersing their Ganesha idols in polluted lakes and immersion ponds, many residents in the city are opting to immerse their idols in a tub of fresh water at their homes. This eco-friendly method was observed on the 3rd and 5th days of immersion in the city.

The practice has picked up among individual residences and resident associations. Pawan Kumar, a resident of Manikonda, said his family has been using this method for the last three years.

“We usually do it in a container. First we place our idol in it, then we pour fresh water upon it and the idol slowly gets

dissolved. We use the same water for our trees and the mud is used to feed the plants.”

Residents are using this method not just for eco-friendly clay Ganeshas but also for Plaster of Paris  idols.

Mr Kumar says that his residential association follows the same method and has created a small temporary immersion pond in which the idol is immersed in the presence of all the residents.

C.S. Sridevi, a resident of Yapral, said that from the time of making the clay Ganesha to the immersion in a container of water along with flowers, “all of our family does it together with devotion. We inculcate the same habit among our children.”

Priests in the city welcome this practice, pointing out that immersion of Ganesha idols is not the only task - it must be done in fresh water.

“Instead of polluting already polluted lakes further, it is better to immerse the idol at home in fresh water,” said Sundar Babu, a priest at a temple in Sainikpuri.

The temple’s three-and-a-half foot clay Ganesh idol was immersed in a tub of water amidst the sound of traditional Naadaswara music and with local residents participating.