Eco-friendly Bhogi bonfire lights up Beach Road

This sustainable bonfire, meant to “promote environmentally conscious practices and mitigate the ecological impact,” attracted considerable attention from local residents.

The common practice of incinerating old household items, including waste, discarded materials, broken furniture, rubber tyres, and plastic during Bhogi bonfires significantly contributes to environmental pollution. Such practices not only disregard traditional customs but also present substantial ecological challenges, the activists said.

The cow dung was collected by the Goadharita Prakruti Rythula Sangam from Simhachalam’s Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Devasthanam Goshala and also the cow dung sourced from inmates at Visakhapatnam Central Jail.

The scene of the bonfire was the parking lot along the Visakhapatnam Beach Road. “The bonfire highlighted the benefits of burning domestic cow dung. The celebration of the Bhogi festival adhered to traditional customs, featuring participation from Haridas and Gangireddus, it is noted.