GURUNANK KHALSA COLLEGE MATUNGA

ECO-FRIENDLYGANESH IDOLS

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GROUP MEMBERS:

• Jitesh Joya 16• Akash Sutrave 47• Vikesh Salian 61• Rajendra Salvi 57• Prashant Dahiwalkar 11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

WE ARE VERY THANKFULL TO EVERYONE WHO ALL SUPPORTED US, FOR WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR PROJECT EFFECTIVELY AND MOREOVER ON TIME.

WE EQUALLY GRATEFUL TO OUR TEACHER MRS.SMITA .SHE

GAVE US MORAL SUPPORT AND GUIDED US IN MATTERS REGARDING TOPIC. SHE HAD BEEN VERY KIND AND PATIENT WHILE SUGGESTING US OUTLINES OF THIS PROJECT AND CLEARING OUR DOUBTS.WE THANK HER FOR HER OVERALL HELP.

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST,WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PARENTS AND OUR PARTNERS WHO HELPED US A LOT IN GATHERING DIFFERENT INFORMATION,COLLECTING DATA AND GUIDING US FROM TIME TO TIME IN MAKING THIS PROJECT UNIQUE.WE HAVE PUT A TEAM EFFORT TO COMPLETE AND MAKE IT A GREAT PROJECT.

THANKING YOU,• AKASH SUTRAVE 47• JITESH JOYA 16• VIKESH SALIAN 63• PRASANT DAHIWALKAR 11• RAJENDRA SALVI 57

INDEX1.INTRODUCTION2.PROBLEMS CAUSED BY USE OF POP AND CLAY IDOLS3.WATER POLLUTION4.ECO FRIENDLY GANESH IDOLS “WHY GANESH TURNING GREEN”5.BIO DEGRADABLE AND ECO FRIENDLY FESTIVAL6.ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING GREEN IDOLSIDOLS WHICH CLEAN RIVER WHEN IMMERSED7.MAHARASHTRA GOVT. SUPPORTING GREEN GANESHINTRODUCTION

Ganesha Chaturthi (गणे�श चतु�र्थी) , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is the Hindu festival of Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival. It is the birthday of Lord Ganesha who is widely worshiped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). The date usually falls between 20 August and 15 September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the waxing moon period).

While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Outside India, it is celebrated widely in Nepal and Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka

Two to three months prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, artistic clay models of Lord Ganesha are made for sale by specially skilled artisans. They are beautifully decorated & depict Lord Ganesh in various poses. The size of these statues may vary from 3/4th of an inch to over 25 feet.

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas(pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. Themandapas are decorated specially for the festival, either by using decorative items like flower garlands, lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events.

PROBLEMS CAUSED BY IMMERSION OF POP AND CLAY IDOLS

Environmental pollution caused by Ganesh Chaturthi festival Widespread campaigns are already on for an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi festival but still a large section of the society are unaware of the pollution and environmental damage caused by Plaster of Paris idols and chemical paints. Some large Ganesha Pandal committees, to attract maximum crowd conveniently forget the

environmental impact caused by the idols. In 2010, date of Ganesh Chaturthi festival is September 11.

The main pollution is caused by the Plaster of Paris Ganesh idols and the chemical paints used in them.

• Plaster of Paris (POP) is not a naturally occurring material and contains gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium. The idols take several months to dissolve in water and in the process poison the waters of lake, ponds, rives and seas.

• The chemical paints used to decorate the Ganesh idol contain mercury, lead, cadmium and carbon and this increases the acidity and heavy metal content in the water.

• Several accessories used during the Ganesh Puja like Thermocole, plastic flowers, cloth, incense, camphor and numerous other materials are dumped carelessly adding more strain to the already polluted rivers and lakes.

• Careless dumping of Ganesh idols in waterbodies blocks the natural flow of water. This results in stagnation and breeding of mosquitoes and other harmful pests.

• The polluted water causes several diseases including skin diseases.

• The pollution from Ganesh Chaturthi idols also damages the ecosystem, kills fishes and water plants.

• In many areas, the same polluted water gets pumped into

homes.

Alternatives:• Use eco-friendly clay idols painted with natural colors.

• Use permanent idols made of stone and perform a symbolic immersion and reuse the idol each year.

• Avoid public waterbodies to immerse the idols, instead immerse idol in bucket or tub.

The most serious impact of the Ganesh festival on the natural environment is due to the immersion of icons made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. Traditionally, the Ganesh icon was sculpted out of earth taken from nearby one’s home. After worshipping the divinity in this earth icon, it was returned back to the Earth by immersing it in a nearby water body. This cycle represented the cycle of creation and dissolution in Nature.

However, as the production of Ganesh icons on a commercial basis grew, the earthen or natural clay (shaadu maati in Marathi) was replaced by Plaster of Paris. Plaster is a man made material, easier to mould, lighter and less expensive than clay. However, plaster takes much longer to dissolve and in the process of dissolution releases toxic elements into the water body. The chemical paints used to adorn these plaster icons themselves contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium.

On the final day of the Ganesh festival thousands of plaster icons are immersed into water bodies by devotees. These increase the level of acidity in the water and the content of heavy metals. The day after the immersion, shoals of dead fish can be seen floating on the

surface of the water body as a result of this sudden increase.

Lake contaminated with Plaster of Paris Ganesha idols

Several non governmental and governmental bodies have been addressing this issue. Amongst the solutions proposed by various groups some are as follows:

• Return to the traditional use of natural clay icons and immerse the icon in a bucket of water at home.

• Use of a permanent icon made of stone and brass, used every year and a symbolic immersion only.

• Recycling of plaster icons to repaint them and use them again the following year.

• Ban on the immersion of plaster icons into lakes, rivers and the sea.• Creative use of other biodegradable materials such as paper mache

to create Ganesh icons.• Encouraging people to immerse the icons in tanks of water rather

than in natural water bodies. To handle religious sentiments sensitively, some temples and

spiritual groups have also taken up the cause.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF GANESH CHATURTHI

To be able to choose the most appropriate ecosensitive solution it is important that we understand the environmental impacts of Ganesh Chaturthi.

These can be summarized to be the following:1. The water pollution caused by the immersion of Plaster of Paris idols into natural water bodies.2. The water pollution caused by chemical paints used on these idols.3. The waste generated by the non biodegradable accessories used during the worship.4. Noise pollution5. Traffic congestion6. Increased consumerism

Amongst these the first two can be partially resolved by a shift to eco sensitive materials and practices.WATER POLLUTION The Issue

For some years there has been a growing awareness about the water pollution caused by the immersion of Ganesh idols made out of Plaster of Paris (PoP), in natural water bodies such as lakes, rivers and the sea. PoP is not a naturally occurring material. Plaster of Paris is a calcium sulfate hemi-hydrate : (CaSO4, ½ H2O) derived from gypsum, a calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4 , 2 H2O), by firing this mineral at relatively low temperature and then reducing it to powder. While idols made out of naturally occurring clay (shaadu in Marathi) dissolve within hours of immersion in water, PoP idols may take anywhere between several months to years to fully dissolve. In addition, when chemical paints are used to decorate the idols, these paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which seep into the water as the idol dissolves. In Bangalore a study done by the Central Pollution Control Board to assess the impact of immersion of Ganesh idols on the lakes revealed the following:* Increase in the acid content in the waters.* The TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) increased by a 100%* The Dissolved Oxygen content increased during the day due to the

agitation of waters during immersion and reduced at night when organic discharge increased.* The heavy metal content sampling showed an increase in metals such as iron which increased nearly 10 times and the content of copper in the sediments increased by 200 to 300 %.

Possible solutions: Since the main issue around water pollution has got to do with the idol immersion ritual, several people are now suggesting a slight variation of this ritual to avoid water pollution. These include:1. Immersing the idol in a water tank constructed by the government, instead of directly into natural water bodies.2. Using only a natural clay idol and immersing it either in the tank or in a bucket of water at home.3. Immersing a 'betel nut' which symbolises the idol and reusing the same idol every year.4. If one is using a PoP idol, simply sprinkling a few drops of water on it as a symbolic immersion and donating the idol to be recycled for the following year

ECO-FRIENDLY GANESH IDOLS

Why Ganesh is turning green?

MILLIONS of devotees of Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, are being urged to use clay instead of toxic plastics to make their idols for this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi. During the annual Hindu festival, celebrated across India from Sunday to mark Lord Ganesh’s birthday, thousands of replica statues — some measuring 25ft (7.6m) — are immersed in the sea, lakes and rivers after daily prayers at temples and colourful processions through the streets. Environmentalists say that the plaster of Paris that in recent years has replaced the natural mud traditionally used is causing serious water pollution. Beaches and lake shores are littered with debris for weeks, while chemicals from paints leach into the drinking water and kill many fish. The Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group has started a “safe festivals” campaign to encourage worshippers to revert to unbaked clay, which dissolves in water, and paint their idols with natural colours such as turmeric and red earth instead of chemical dyes. Failing that, people are being urged to conduct a “symbolic immersion” or dunk the deity in a bucket of water and recycle their plastic idols for next year. “Traditionally, simple idols were made of earth and returned to the earth but over the years the craft of idol-making has reached a big scale,” Manisha Gutman, the campaign leader, said. “One wants to keep the craft alive but we have to think of nature.” The Indian Central Pollution Control Board has warned festival-goers not to use plaster of Paris, and local organisers were asked to commission smaller idols to limit the damage. The National Green Corps launched a campaign this month to dissuade people from using artificial material. The message is not, however, getting through. Idols sculpted from natural clay, which is heavier and more expensive than plastic, are rare outside artisan communities. Most are mass-produced from moulds to keep up with the demand. Critics of the campaign say it should have started in January when work on the idols began.

“Very few people abide by [the guidelines],” Chindwasa Rameswar Prasad, one idol-maker, told The Hindu newspaper. “What matters most is attractive colour gloss, which commands a better price compared to an idol finished with ordinary paint.”

LORD OF SUCCESS Ganesh is said to be the lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles

Buy Clay Ganesh Murti in 2010 for a Biodegradable and Ecofriendly Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

/Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2010 is on September 11 in India and the Hindu God Ganesh murtis are getting ready. If you wish to buy clay Ganesh Murti and wish to be part of an eco-sensitive and natural Ganesh Chaturthi Festival sticking to the true Hindu tradition start you search for clay Ganesh Murti and place orders and spread the word in your neighborhood. There are numerous organizations that are selling natural hand-made clay Ganesh Murtis. You can start placing your orders now.

eCoexist, a social enterprise located in Pune, distributes Natural clay Ganesh idols with natural paint. They have started taking orders for Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2010. Various shapes and types of Natural Clay Ganesh murits are available at eCoexist and it can be found here. The Murtis of eCoexist are also available at outlets in some of the important cities in India.

Note – Please avoid the use of Ganesha idols made of /Plaster of Paris and chemical paints as it causes water pollution. And discourage the practice of abandoning the Plaster of Paris Ganesh idols on seashores and riverbanks.

Hundreds of kilos of flowers are used for puja and decoration during Ganesh Chaturthi festival. As part of eco-friendly Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations in Pune, e-coexist, an environmental organization, is going to recycle the flowers used during Ganesh Chaturthi festival to make colors natural colors for Holi festival.

Ganesh Chaturthi Nirmalya Segregation project of E-coexist

One of the biggest outputs of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is the tonnes of 'nirmalya' - the offerrings collected during the immersion. These offerings are made of several items : flower garlands, fruits, coconuts, spices, honey and camphor. While most of the offerings themselves are made of natural items, they come wrapped in plastic bags, plastic boxes or glass bottles.

Traditionally, these items were meant to be immersed with the Ganesh idols, as an offering back to nature. However, since immersion of these on large scale is bound to cause problems, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has successfully convinced devotees to deposit their 'nirmalya' bags in kalash shaped bins near the ghats.

eCoexist will be sponsoring an experimental project which involves using flowers collected at the Yerawada and BundGarden ghats to make natural colour. This project has been

inspired by work we are already doing around the festival of Holi.

The women prisoners of the Yerawada Central Jail have already been trained on how to make natural colour from flowers such as marigold. In 2006, this experiment was carried out on a smaller scale along with the children of the ASHA school under the banner of Kalpavriksh .

The success of the project will depend on two unknown factors:1. The quantity of nirmalya collected.2. The weather.

If the monsoon continues , the drying process of the flowers may not be complete and the flowers will then be used to make compost for the jail farms.

There are no hard and fast rules for Ganesh Visarjan, it usually depends on family tradition and on the availability of family members.

The symbolic meaning of Ganesh Chaturthi festival is that Lord Ganesha comes and stays among us. The immersion symbolizes his return from the earth after removing the obstacles and unhappiness of his devotees.

Go for an Eco-friendly Green Ganesha Visarjan Millions of Ganesh idols made from Plaster of Paris and coated with deadly paints containing mercury, cadmium, lead and carbon are immersed in lakes, rivers, ponds and seas. This is harmful to environment and creates water pollution. Remember the same water

is pumped and is made available to use in our homes.

The saddest part is that most of idols are left on riverbanks and on seashore in rotten and broken conditions. Municipality trucks come and carry them in the smelly trucks like waste products. This is not a good way to bid goodbye to Ganesha – the remover of obstacles.

Please if you have used a Ganapati Idol made from Plaster of Paris that uses chemical paints please do not immerse the Ganesha in river, lake or other public water bodies. You can use the tanks provided by the Metro and Municipal co-operation for Visarjan.

Please make sure that you do not immerse any plastic waste along with the clay Ganesha idol and be proudly part of the eco-friendly Ganesh festival. Use clay idol and immerse only the soluble parts. You can also symbolically sprinkle water on the Ganesh idol. You can also immerse Ganesha in a bucket of water at home and then use it to water plants. If you are using idol of metal, then it can be reused next year.

This is Shameful and degrading the Hindu culture.

This is the true Hindu culture – Ganesha gets His form using earth (mud) and returns to earth.

Biggest Ganapati Idol for Ganesh Chaturthi

Puja 2009 at Visakhapatnam – At 58 Feet – World’s Tallest Eco-Friendly Ganesha Idol The Lord Vinayaka idol installed by the Gajuwaka Sampath Vinayaka Youth Association at Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam(Vizag) in Andhra Pradesh has broken the record of the tallest Ganesha idol for Ganesh Chaturthi Puja. It is 58 ft tall and nearly 10 feet taller than the Hyderabad Khairatabad Ganesha idol that stands at 48 feet. The Gajuwaka Sampath Vinayaka Youth Association should be appreciated for making this huge idol with eco-friendly products.

The tall idol at Gajuwaka is made using clay, dry grass and watercolor.

Hyderabad Khairatabad Ganesha idol which usually measures more than 40 feet used to be the tallest Ganesh idol installed during Ganesh Chaturthi Puja.

//Nivedita Ganguly writes in the Hindu

The total cost of the setup was Rs.18 lakhs (1.8 million rupees). It was the skilled workmanship of 20 workers from West Bengal and 45 days of non-stop toil that created the magnificent idol.

“Unlike other idols, we have not used iron, plaster of Paris and oil-based colours. We have only used clay specially brought from Kolkata, dry grass and water-based colours. They give a natural look to the idol and are eco-friendly,” says T. Jagadeesh Reddy, president of the association.

The idol will be dissolved at the same place on August 31.

Ganesha Idol from 1250 Kg Jaggery and Spices in Chennai for

Vinayakar Chaturthi Innumerable are the ways in which people make Ganapati idols for Ganesh Chaturthi. In Chennai, for Vinayakar Chaturthi 2009, a Ganesha Pandal has created an idol of Lord Ganesha using 1,250 kg of jaggery and spices.

Image from Hindustan TimesWorld’s Longest Sand Ganesha Idol by Sudarsan Pattnaik – Go Green Message

World famous sand sculptor Sudarshan Pattnaik from Orissa has

created a 40ft long Sand Ganesh on Puri Beach in Orissa for Ganesh

Chaturthi 2009. Lord Ganesha lies on the beach holding a tree

giving the message – Plant trees and reduce Global Warming.

Orissa Diary reports

It took 10 hours and using 17 tones of sand to create this 40 ft long

sand Ganesh.

‘Lord Ganesha is also called Vinayak (knowledgeable) or

Vighneshwer (god to remove obstacles). He is worshipped, or at least

remembered, in the beginning of any auspicious performance for

blessings and auspiciousness. So I believed that people will accept

this message to save the planet from Global Warming’ said Pattnaik.

Parisara Ganapati – Join and Learn All about Eco-Friendly and Nature friendly Ganesh Idols

Thousands of people from around the world are making an

effort to promote eco-friendly practices during Ganapati pooja celebrations. The main aim of the eco-friendly celebrations are to use of unpainted clay idols for Ganesh Pooja, use of nature based dyes for painting Ganapati idols, proper disposal of idols and other pooja material.

Parisara Ganapati project is developed by Youth for Seva with the aim to spreading the message of eco-friendly Ganesh idols of Vinayaka Chaturthi celebrations.

You can join and learn all about Eco-Friendly and Nature friendly Ganesh Idols at the website of Parisara Ganapati.

The website contains information on buying and making of ecoGanesh idols. The site also includes a research papers, videos and a photo gallery.

You can join and learn all about ecoganesh at Parisara Ganapati.Eco-friendly Ganesh Idols from Alum or Fitkari People from all walks of life are joining into create awareness about the need to use eco-friendly Ganesh idols for Ganesh Chaturthi puja and make a positive difference. Some people are coming forward with unique solutions to Plaster of Paris idols and one such innovative idea is the making of Ganapati Idols using Alum. This unique solution which also helps in cleaning water was put forth by Civil engineer Ramesh Kher from Pune.

Large quantities of Alum, or Fitkari, (aluminum sulfate) are used clean portable water in India.

Aluminum sulfate along with another chemical called sodium

aluminate is pumped into lakes to control algae growth. The growth of algae is considered to be one of the main reasons behind murky and smelly water bodies.

Ramesh Kher from Pune who has come up with the idea suggests the Alum Ganesha idols will help in protecting and saving the rivers and lakes.

The main idea here is to make use of the Ganesh idol immersion environment friendly and also bring about a positive change in the health of the lakes, ponds and rivers.

Mid-Day reports

Kher's friend Vivek Kamble, a sculptor, has already carved his very first Ganesh idol from alum.

"He took three days to carve the idol and the result is heartening. We will make some more such idols and see how the images fare on the day of immersion. Generally, three kgs of alum dissolve in three days. If all goes as planned, I plan to manufacture 500 such idols next year, and hope to convince people to be more environment conscious," Kher said.

Madhav Gogte, a veteran ecologist and former principal chief forest conservator, Maharashtra, endorsed the idea of creating alum Ganeshas. "I am sure the alum crystal idol will be more pleasing aesthetically. I hope more people follow the concept," he said.

Workshop on How to Make Eco-friendly Ganesh Idols in Mumbai

A large number of Lord Ganesha Idols used for worship during/-Ganesh Chaturthi festival are made using plaster of Paris and chemical colors having toxic ingredients. During the Ganesh Visarjan ceremony at the end of the festival, the idols are discarded in rivers, seas, ponds and lakes and this leads to /water contamination and pollution. The original method of observing Ganesh Chaturthi is by making Ganesh idols using clay and natural colors.

Numerous Government departments, organizations and NGOs are working towards an environment friendly Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Rotary Club of Badlapur Industrial area in Mumbai is conducting an Eco-friendly Ganesh Idol workshop in Mumbai to spread the awareness of natural Ganesh idols.

Times of India reports

This workshop will teach participants to make a Ganesh idol without the use of plaster of Paris and colours having toxic ingredients. There are limited number of seats for the workshop. The last date for registration is July 24, 2009.

Buy Clay Ganesha Idols for a Natural and Ecofriendly Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2010 begins on September 11 and the Lord Ganesha idols are getting ready. This year if you wish to have an eco-sensitive and natural Ganesh Chaturthi Festival sticking to the

true Hindu tradition please buy Lord Ganesha idols made of clay and that uses natural paints. There are numerous organizations that are selling natural hand-made clay Ganesh Idols. You can start placing your orders now.

eCoexist, a social enterprise located in Pune, distributes Natural clay Ganesh idols. They have started taking orders for Ganesh Chaturthi Festival 2010. Various shapes and types of Natural Clay Ganesh idols are available at eCoexist and it can be found here.

There are numerous such organizations. Please make an effort to find organizations that sell natural clay Ganesh idols and the spread the news.

Please avoid the use of Ganesha idols made of /Plaster of Paris and chemical paints as it causes water pollution. And discourage the practice of abandoning the Plaster of Paris Ganesh idols on seashores and riverbanks.

This is not the Hindu Tradition – It’s a shame on Hinduism

This the true Hindu tradition – the clay GaneshLightweight Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idols in Bangalore

A new form of Lord Ganesha idols that is gaining popularity inBangalore is the Lightweight Eco-Friendly Ganesh. The idol is made

from paper, tapioca powder and maida (a type of wheat flour). The weight of the idols is fifty percent less than the normal idols. Light weight Ganesh idols are preferred by people who opt for large Ganesha idols during Ganesh Chaturthi. It is easy to transport from one place to another.

The cost of lightweight eco-friendly Ganesha idols are much higher than the clay idols primarily due to the cost of the raw materials used. The making of the idol also needs extra care as the idol disintegrates soon if it comes into contact with water.

The greatest advantage of the lightweight idol is that it disintegrates fast during the Visarjan or immersion ceremony. But most people prefer it as it is easy to move from one place to another - A 10-foot-tall clay idol weighs nearly 200 kg while a lightweight idol of the same dimension weighs 50 kg.

In Bangalore, the lightweight Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idols are sold by street vendors at Begur, Sarayipalya, Tannery Road, Nagavara etc.School Children in Maharashtra make 20,000 Eco-friendly Ganesh Idols

With the help of National Green Corps (NGC) in Maharashtra, school children from 800 schools across the state have made 20,000 eco-friendly Ganesh idols using soluble clay and vegetable dyes /rather than Plaster of Paris and chemical paint, which are polluters. National Green Corps (NGC) which is under the Directorate of Social Forestry is constantly conducting workshops prior to popular Hindu festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi, Vat Poornima, Shravan, and Nagpanchami to spread the awareness for

the need for nature friendly celebrations.

National Green Corps (NGC) inMaharashtra has more than 400,000 school children as its members and they have been spreading the message of eco-friendly celebrations in villages and towns in the state.

“.. students who are part of the NGC will continue to implement the Ganesh festival awareness campaign in every village, advising people to make idols with materials that are easily soluble and do not harm nature, immerse the idols in bucketful of water and use the same to water plants, make compost out of the flowers and leaves used to worship the idols, and avoid causing noise pollution…” The directorate had organized three training programs for master trainers to conduct its workshops.

A similar workshop is currently underway at SadhanaSchool, Hadapsar where 25 students are working on their own Ganesh idols. “Our trainers gave us the instruments to carve out the idols from clay and once we had made the rough structure, the next step was to color it. Coloring is fun,” said Ranjit Kale, a class VII student from the school who has opted to work on the project even though his exams are going on. Class XII student Priyanka Kad recommends the use of vegetable colors and is enthusiastic about the prospect of celebrating the festival by worshipping an idol she has made from scratch.

Hyderabad Khairatabad Ganesha Idol for Ganesh Festival 2008

Ganesh idols made during Ganesh Chaturthi festival at Khairatabad near Hyderabad is always noted for its enormous size, which is usually

more than 40 feet. It is not just for size that the Khairatabad Ganesha made for Vinayaka Chaturthi is famous for but also for the use of natural colors. For /2008 Ganesh Chaturthi too, the Ganesh idols prepared by Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee will use natural colors.

In 2008, the huge Khairatabad Ganesh will appear seated on a throne. Khairatabad Vinayaka Chavithi Ganesh idol was last seen in seated posture in 1982. The Ganesha idol in 2008 is flanked on the right side by Aadi Shakti in the backdrop with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in the foreground. To the left of the Ganesha is Lord with his consort Parvathi and Goddess Ganga.

Government talks a lot about eco-friendly Ganeshas but there is no major drive on the part of authorities to create awareness. The government is also not willing to financially help people who are making nature friendly Ganesh idols. Another major issue is the lack of clay and other natural raw materials.

Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad is the main water body used during Ganesh Visarjan and the use of natural colors will help in reducing /water pollution caused by Ganesh idols made from plaster of paris and chemical paints. Use Nature Friendly Cloth, Garlands and Shawls to Decorate Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

We spend hours decorating Lord Ganesha and his temporary temple with thermocole and plastic during Ganesh Chaturthi festival. But after the festival these non

biodegradable wastes are thrown in a water body, sea or river along with Ganesh idol. This plastic and thermocol waste cause environmental problems and pose health hazards. The valuable hours you spend in decorating Lord Ganesh can also be done with ecofriendly clothes, garlands and shawls.

All traditional Hindu festivals are deeply rooted in nature. Traditionally only natural products are used in Hindu rituals. Why? Hinduism is rooted in Nature and the best example to this is Lord Ganesha.

Plastic, Plaster of Paris, thermocole and other cosmetic items might be attractive to the eyes and may be less expensive and easy to use and easily available. But they are not traditional puja items and their use reflects cosmetic spirituality.

...:eCoexist , a Pune based NGO , is setting an example by introducing disposable temples, garlands and shawls made from ecofriendly products especially for Ganesh Chaturthi.

All these decoratives is made using left over fabrics and provide an eco-sensitive livelihood to women living in the slums of Pune. Even the garlands are made using clothes.

eCoexist is selling them as a kit which includes one temple with either one shawl or one garland. You can find more details about

...:the product here.

If you are not interested in buying, you can make use of the ideas used by eCoexist and create your own Ganesha temples from clothes and other natural materials.

ORGANISATIONThe Vakratund Mela organized by the Nirmitee Art Gallery held at Dadar (W) in Mumbai is noted for unique eco-friendly and natural Ganesh idols made from paper-mache, jute, dried vegetables, brass, clay, bamboo and even weaver bird nests. Some of the idols that are part of Vakratund Mela are an ideal choice for those looking to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi festival. (Ganesh Festival 2009 begins on August 23).

This unique exhibition is one among the numerous attempts made by people who are concerned about the environmental pollution caused by Ganesh idols made using Plaster of Paris and chemical paints.

The exhibition which is currently on will end on August 23, 2009. The price of the Ganesh idols range from Rs 100/- to 85,000/-

The 2009 edition of the exhibition includes 1001 eco-friendly Ganesha idols and 101 idols of Bal Ganesha. Fifty one 51 tortoises are also part of the exhibition as they are considered auspicious and are eco-friendly creatures as they clean the water.

Mid-Day Reports

The gallery also plans to organize drawing competitions for kids to raise awareness about the eco-system. ‘The perception of Lord Ganesha has changed over the years. He is not only considered a deity, but also perceived as a friend by children. We believe children are better communicators of our concern for conservation,’ says

Surendra Khajanchi, owner of Nirmitee Art Gallery.

While a major chunk of the idols are made in-house at their studio, the rest of the artworks are sourced from 5,000 artisans dispersed all over the country. They have Kadam wood artefacts from Rajasthan, papier-mâché products from Chennai, Rosewood idols from Kerala, Dokra art from Orissa and tribal art from Bangalore. They even had a Ganesha idol made from dried mushrooms which was instantly sold out when the exhibition commenced.Address: Nirmitee Art Connoisseurs Gallery,4/5, Khosravi Estate, SK Bole Road,near Portuguese Church,Dadar (W)

Ganesh idols which clean the river when immersed

Ganesh idols made of white soil or shadu and Plaster of Paris (POP) inevitably pollute water when they are immersed at the conclusion of Ganpati festivities. Civil engineer Ramesh Kher (68) feels the answer lies in making idols of the Lord from alum. "Even idols made of wood, stones and iron cause obstructions in the flow of water. The colours used to paint the idols are toxic they pollute our water bodies. So, this year I decided to create an idol from alum to see if it makes a positive difference," said Kher. Friend indeedKher's friend Vivek Kamble, a sculptor, has already carved his very first Ganesh idol from alum. "He took three days to carve the idol and the result is heartening. We will make some more such idols and see how the images fare on the day of immersion. Generally, three kgs of alum dissolve in three days. If all goes as planned, I plan to manufacture 500 such idols next year, and hope to convince people to be more environment conscious,"

Kher said. Alum's welcome Incidentally, the PMC uses tons of alum to clean potable water of polluting particulate matter. "My father has over 100 products patented in his name. Making a Lord Ganesh idol from alum is a revolutionary idea. It may take time to catch on, but it will definitely click," said Swachchand Kher, Ramesh Kher's son.

Madhav Gogte, a veteran ecologist and former principal chief forest conservator, Maharashtra, endorsed the idea of creating alum Ganeshas. "I am sure the alum crystal idol will be more pleasing aesthetically. I hope more people follow the concept," he said. Earlier, Kher had also created idols from jaggery, but did not proceed with the idea because it attracted ants and tended to melt when temperatures rose.

Maharashtra pollution board promotes eco-friendly Ganesh idols

This Ganpati festival devotees may see a lot of eco-friendly idols, provided the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) certified process of idol-making becomes popular and good sense prevails among organisers.After experimenting on various formulas to come up with eco-friendly idols for the past three years, Pramod Vitthal Palav, a sculptor from Kankavali in Sindhudurg, invented an idol manufacturing process by mixing clay with fig tree juice, paper and glue. This product dissolves in water in less than 15 minutes.

“Plaster of Paris (POP) idols float on water surface and increase pollution,” said Palav.Palav sent his idol for testing to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) from where it was sent to NEERI.

The NEERI certified it after testing the manufacturing process and the ingredients used. Now, the MPCB has decided to promote this experiment by holding a one-day conference with local sculptors and government officials.Despite the environmental advantages, shadu mati or clay is not preferred because it makes the idols very heavy.“The water pollution level increases after immersion of POP-made Ganesh idols.

We were looking for options, which would be economically viable and easy for transportation. This is a great experiment and we will support it,” said Radhesham Mopalwar, member secretary, MPCB.The one-day conference will be jointly organized by the MPCB and environment department on July 8.The Brihanmumbai Ganesh Murtikar Sangh, various public organisations and Ganpati mandals will be invited to it. Palav has been asked to explain his experiment to other experts from the field.“We call for more and more artists to get involved in this event. An eco-friendly Ganesh festival is the need of time,” said Mopalwar.

BIBLIOGRAPHY• WWW.GOOGLE.COM • WWW.YAHOO.COM • VARIOUS NGO SITES viz eCoexist, Timesgreenganesh

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