Every year, Ganesha or Ganapati makes his way to millions of homes across the country with great fanfare, pomp, and gaiety. How about bringing home an eco friendly Ganesha this year? Undoubtedly Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in India, especially in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
The Ganesha festival is a harbinger of auspiciousness, peace, prosperity, and happiness. The atmosphere is surcharged with devotion and celebration during the 10-day festival that culminates in thousands and thousands of idols of the elephant God being immersed in water bodies across the country.
And that is where arises an environmental challenge, and the need for an eco-friendly Ganesh festival with eco friendly Ganpati idols.
Table of Contents
Importance Of Eco Friendly Ganesha
The importance of eco friendly Ganesha and need for the use of eco-friendly Ganesha idols are underlined by the fact that in the city of Mumbai alone more than 200,000 idols of Ganesha are immersed in the sea and other water bodies. A majority of these idols are made of PoP (Plaster of Paris), which is non-bio-degradable. The consequences on the water bodies and the resulting health hazards cannot be stressed enough.
Then what is the option? you may ask, well there are many options available to celebrate an eco friendly Ganesh Chaturthi. These options include buying eco friendly Ganpati idols and making an eco friendly Ganesha at home.
How To Celebrate An Eco Friendly Ganesha Chaturthi
Are you wondering what an eco friendly Ganesha Chaturthi is all about? Are you plagued with questions like, What is eco-friendly Ganesha? Is Clay Ganesha eco-friendly? then read on to find the answers to these questions and more.
There are many ways that we can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi without diluting any of its traditional pomp and festivities in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. As individuals, it is our duty to do our mite to ensure that we restore our ecosystems and stop their deterioration in whichever way possible.
Here are some steps to take that will make your Ganesh Chaturthi festival celebrations eco-friendly.
Buy Clay Eco friendly Ganesh Idols – Towards An An Eco Friendly Ganesha Festival
This year do not buy the cheaper and brightly painted Ganesh idols that are made of PoP (Plaster of Paris). Instead, opt to buy a traditional clay and eco friendly Ganesh Murti. These Eco Friendly Ganpati Murtis made from clay are 100% biodegradable. They dissolve in water quickly and do not pollute water bodies as they do not have harmful chemicals and dyes.
These clay idols can also be ceremoniously immersed at home in a water tank or bucket of water if that is more convenient than heading to a water body.
Go In For A Reusable Eco Friendly Ganesha Idol
A good option is to use a small Ganesha Idol made of any metal. Panchaloha Ganesha is a good and auspicious option. Panchaloha is a metal made of 5 alloys and is used in making idols and jewellery for temples. Traditionally Panchaloha consists of alloys of Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, and Iron.
The Panchaloha idol can be worshipped ritualistically and immersed symbolically at home and reused the next year.
Buy Smaller And Simpler Ganesha Idols
Over the years the size of the Ganesha idol has become a matter of pride and status. However, it is imperative that we let go of this competitiveness and opt to buy smaller and simpler eco-friendly Ganesha idols. This way the environment is not harmed and the idol can be safely immersed at home.
Bring Home A Tree Ganesha Idol
An eco friendly Ganesha idol that has been gaining popularity over the years is based on a unique concept of Eco Ganesha. The concept was first started by an artisan named Dattadri Kothur in Mumbai. In this eco-friendly concept, the idol of Ganesha is made of natural colours, red soil, and fertilizers with a seed inside. After the Ganesha festival, the idol is kept in a pot and watered daily. Soon a plant will sprout from the idol. So you can literally immerse your Ganesha idol and have it too, with you for the entire year and more.
DIY Ganesha – Make Your Own Eco Friendly Ganesha At Home
If you have an artistic mind and would like to channelize your imagination and creativity, this is a great option to celebrate an eco friendly Ganesh festival. You can make your own Ganesha idol at home and maybe involve the entire family in an interesting and engaging activity. You can make the Ganesha idols using recycled paper, organic paint, organic glue, clay, and your imagination.
All the ingredients used here are environmental- friendly and the idol can be safely immersed at home after the festival and the water used for the garden.
These are some simple ways to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with its usual fervour and devotion, but in a manner that does not impact the environment. Remember, whether you are buying an eco friendly Ganesha Online, or bringing home a clay Ganesha, or making your own eco friendly Ganesha at home, you are doing your bit towards the regeneration of the ecosystems of the planet.
Surely Ganesha would be immensely pleased with that!
Do You Love Traveling?
Do you want to know how to travel the world? We have put together a very useful travel resources page with the best travel tips. Go check it out now.
Thanks for visiting our site Voyager – imvoyager.com and taking the time to read this post!
If you wish to collaborate/work with us then reach us at [email protected]
We’d love it if you’d comment by sharing your thoughts on this post and share this post on social media and with your friends.
Follow our journey on our social media channels:
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube
60+ Million Users Trust TripAdvisor With Their Travel Plans. Shouldn’t You?
With festival season coming, we should pay attention towards making efforts to save environment while we enjoy the festive vibes. My sister does Ganesh Sthapana every year. I will share this post with her.
every year during the time of Ganesh chaturthi celebration water pollution reaches new height due to immersion of plaster of Paris ganesha. eco-friendly Ganesha is a great option to save our environment while celebrating this amazing festival. we had already started using eco-friendly ganesha since last 2 years.
Having the eco friendly Ganesh is the best way to save our environment while celebrating our festival with full sprit.
In our society we only bring eco friendly Ganesha. Yes it is easy to immerse them. Every year we dug up a small pit fill it with water and immerse Ganesha there. This way they forever remains with us.
I am a huge advocate of eco-friendly idols of God. And since it is that time of the year again when festivities are in the air and many are gearing up for Ganesh Chaturthi in September, your post couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ll share this post with my friends.
I absolutely agree, moreover Bappa would be very upset seeing the way we are spoiling his lovely creation – earth by polluting it in the name of a festival. We too believe in eco-ganapati and it is better to switch before it is too late.
I really wish everyone who is going to bring Bappa again in their home read this and get only Eco-friendly Ganesha which will surely make God and our environment happy!!
Sustainability is gaining popularity and awareness. These are small steps that we can take to give back to the environment. Love the ideas of various exo friendly Ganesh.
I remember how sad I was seeing the trash after Ganesh Chaturthi. Eco-friendly Ganesha is a novel thought. Hats off to you
Eco-friendly Ganesha is the best option to keep the environment clean while enjoying the festival with full spirit.
Absolutely eco friendly Ganesh icon is best way to celebrate Ganesh chaturthi festival. Good for environment
Bringing home an eco friendly Ganesha is the best way to celebrate the festival , and that’s what many families in our community believe in too.
I’m glad that we’re finding ways to make our festivals eco-friendly by incorporating such easy to follow options. Homemade Ganesha’s with flour or clay are also very popular nowadays.
It is so true. We need to understand the importance and the bigger impact of using eco-friendly idols for the betterment of the environment.
In order to save the environment, it’s indeed imperative to take measures during the Ganesh festival. We all should practice environment-friendly celebrations by bringing in mud Ganesha and not POP ones.
I am glad you are spreading the right message because I feel even Ganesha cries at the number of non ecofriendly idols seen stranded on Mumbai beaches post visarjan
Eco friendly Ganesha are the new and best way to celebrate the festival. I know many of my extended family who have shifted from the regular pop idols to Eco friendly idols.
Sustainability is gaining popularity and awareness. These are small steps that we can take to give back to the environment.