Green Bappa Rules Hearts

Once again, it’s time to welcome the Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles at home. As green ways of celebration are the need of the hour it is important to have an eco-friendly Ganesha idol, decoration, and green immersion. Every year, in the name of celebration, water bodies are polluted with toxic Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, plastic decorations and artificial puja accessories. They harm marine life and damage the environment. It’s time people celebrate festivals responsibly. Many faithful have embraced eco-friendly ways of celebration, but we still have a long way to go!

Be the Change

It is only when an entire generation demands change, that even policymakers will be forced to take a stance. Post immersion even today the lakes, beaches and rivers are full of festival waste. Besides local government bodies, various NGOs organize clean-up drives. “Involving school children in the beach-cleaning drive teaches them to care for their environment. We have been trying to instill change in youngsters about the responsible celebration of festivals for over 15 years now. Many of them have convinced their families and building societies to opt for eco-friendly celebrations. The sight of the mutilated idols on the beach is a lifelong lesson for children who clean the beaches and thus begins the change,” says Vinodini Lulla, Co-Founder and Trustee of Bengaluru-based Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness (CMCA). They are involved in cleaning beaches after immersion as one of the activities that transform the young into concerned, and active citizens.

Eco-friendly Idols

Eco-friendly Ganesh idols are available in the market or can be crafted at home. These idols are made of natural clay, red soil, fibres, papier mache and other biodegradable materials. They are painted with natural colours. Eco-friendly idols degrade faster in water and do not harm the environment, unlike idols made with PoP. One can go in for idols made from metal, which are not immersed. There are many ways to do eco-friendly immersion in artificial tanks (made specially by local governments) or do immersion at home in a tub, or a drum.

Green Décor

Today, many people are opting for green decor alongside eco-friendly idols. “Decor cannot be entirely eco-friendly but can be thoughtfully curated to reduce its harmful impact. For example, using biodegradable fresh flowers minimizes waste, while incorporating reusable elements like fabric torans, and metal thalis adds a sustainable touch,” says Mumbai-based Srishti Kapur, Founder of Floral Art.

One must avoid plastic, thermocol materials and go in for natural materials. Multi-coloured LEDs designed in the shape of auspicious symbols like Om and Swastika can brighten up the décor. Use biodegradable elements like bamboo, jute, cane, coloured strings, origami paper flowers etc. for decoration.

Flowers bring freshness with their fragrance and create an atmosphere of celebration. “Use vibrant fresh flowers and natural materials to create a stunning yet sustainable mandap and main door decoration. Choose fabrics for mandap drapes, which not only look beautiful but are also gentler on the environment. Incorporate reusable items like diyas, cloth torans, and decorative metal puja thalis reducing single-use décor,” adds Kapur.

Consider upcycling old decor items or using recycled materials, giving them a fresh life and reducing the need for new resources. Segregate the waste and discard it responsibly. Collected organic materials like flowers and leaves can be used to make compost. A conscious approach towards minimizing the impact of the environment matters so do your bit this Ganesh Chaturthi.

Green Faithfuls

• Rajkumar Rao and his wife Patralekha make Ganpati idols using sustainable materials — wheat flour, turmeric, pulses and natural colours.

• Sonu Sood gets only eco-friendly Ganesh idols at home. The actor supports and advocates eco-friendly ponds for immersion to avoid polluting the sea.

• Shilpa Shetty and hubby Raj Kundra get an eco-friendly idol and do visarjan in a water drum. The water is later used for gardening.

• Mahesh Babu and his wife Namrata Shirodkar prefer an eco-friendly Ganesh idol and immersion.

• Shraddha Kapoor’s family believes in protecting the environment by reducing pollution and bringing home only a green Ganesha idol.

• Hrithik Roshan and his family get an eco-idol and they do the entire immersion in a water tub filled with flowers.