Lord Ganesha

 

Introduction

Every year, ‘Ganeshotsav’, the festival celebrated on the  birthday of Lord Ganesh,  is widely celebrated with euphoria, not only in India but also across the world. The Lord Ganesha is being revered as the deity of intellect and wisdom and is known as the patron of all arts. Ganesh idols, which are brought home on Ganesh Chaturthi, the fourth day of Bhadrapada (a month of the Hindu calendar) are worshipped with great fervor and love. Prayers are chanted to invoke the blessings of the Lord as well as Aartis or Bhajans are also sung with the offerings of specially prepared food called as Naivedya or Prasad.   At the end of the festival (Punarmilap),  devotees  reluctantly bid farewell to Ganapati Bappa with a heavy heart wherein the idols are immersed in the nearby water body such as river, lake, sea or artificial pond, However, have we ever thought of what exactly happens after the immersion? Does the idol completely dissolve in water? “Undoubtedly No!” 

Need for Eco-friendly Idols

Why has the need for an Eco-friendly Ganesh idol arisen today? 

In earlier times, these idols  were made of biodegradable substances such as wood or loose soil. However, today, these - are made using Plaster of Paris and synthetic colours, which are toxic to human and do not break down easily in water. The remnants of the idols that are found lying undissolved prove   harmful to  the environment. The chemical substances used too, make the water increasingly acidic endangering the Marine ecology of the water bodies.  Moreover, if such water is used in daily life, it makes human susceptible to diseases.

In order to avoid these ill-effects and safeguard the environment, Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Upasana Foundation with its sister organisations initiated the project of making eco-friendly Ganesh idols. These idols completely dissolve in water further preventing the spread of harmful effects. 

Moorti Making Process

The pages of Ramnaam books are soaked in water and converted into paper pulp. This pulp thus obtained is mixed with white ink and tree-based gum. This mixture is kneaded uniformly and is placed on the mould to give it an appropriate shape and form of an idol. Once dried, it is coloured using food-based dyes. These idols, on immersion, completely disintegrate in water and do not pollute the ecosystem.

Moreover, our organisation, ‘Shree Aniruddha Upasana Foundation’ had the opportunity to patent this novel method of producing an idol. However, the organization refused to do so, thus keeping it open to the public to create awareness about the environment. With each passing year, the response to this initiative has been overwhelming.

Achievements

Our organization has received appreciation from various quarters for this initiative:

1. Received a Letter of Appreciation for three consecutive years from 2010 to 2012 from The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (or BMC), under its ‘Go Green Campaign’ and ‘Environment Friendly Ganpati’ initiatives.
2. Awarded the ‘Times Special Green Ganpati Award’ in 2009 by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Mumbai Mirror Association and Times Red Sale.
3. Felicitated in 2008 by the Mayor of Mumbai, Dr. Shubha Raul, at an exhibition organized at the National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering (NITIE) in Powai 

In this way, men and women of all ages selflessly participate in this activity with  enthusiasm. It is essential to celebrate Ganesh Festival in a green manner to save our environment, and it is with this motto, that Shree Aniruddha Upasana Foundation had begun making Eco-friendly Ganesh idols. If the project seeks participation from all Ganesh devotees, the damage can be avoided to a more significant extent.