While the Ganeshmahostav is nearing, the preparations are on in the nation in full fervor. To dwell in the festivities, people in Mumbai welcome idols of Ganesha at their homes and on the day of Chaturthi they submerge them in the sea, also know as performing ‘Visarjan‘ on the day of the mahostav. Well, the idols that are made of chemicals and other substances like Plaster of Paris (PoP), shadu clay and papermache feeds water pollution and affect the lives of marine organisms and fishes.
To eradicate this rising issue in the fervor of Ganesh Chaturthi, a Mumbai based non-governmental organization (NGO) came out forwards and created idols with corn and vegetable powder, that can be consumed by marine organisms,. Moreover, the idols prepared are colored naturally by turmeric, chandan and geru that does not harm the marine lives.
Crafted by Sprouts Environmental Trust, with support from a private company that designed the campaign, the nine inch idols have been created, “Forty idols are being made at Nagpur and we have received orders from across the country,” said Anand Pendharkar, founder, NGO Sprouts. He adds, “These idols would dissolve within four to five hours of immersion.” A lot of research and testing had gone into the making of these idols, and the results are incredible.
To welcome Vinayak at your home, you can choose from the various categories of Ganesha idols:
Plaster of Paris (PoP)
The idols so made from PoP are the cheapest and made from gypsum that affects the marine life and dispose chemicals in water. It takes months to completely dissolve in water bodies.
Shadu Clay
Shadu clay when dissolves in water makes it murkier. It generally takes two to three weeks in dissolving in the water as it is made of fine particles of silt, a white substance. These are little expensive from those made of PoP.
Papier Mache
Papier mache is an art which is made from glue and paper or flour and water, it becomes hard when dry and thereby carved out into the desired shapes when wet. It is quite soluble in free flowing water in only one and half hours, but it is highly expensive to afford.
Natural idols
The idols prepared form corn powder and vegetable powder are quite organic as they are further painted with natural colors and are completely soluble in water within 4 to 5 hours. They cost Rs 900 for a nine inch idol.
So, what’s your count this season for a greener environment and cleaner water bodies?
