Ganesh Chaturthi is right around the corner, and Indians all round the globe couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Ganpati bappa to their homes. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated Hindu festivals. It is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is believed to bring good fortune, wealth, and prosperity upon the lives of his devotees. After worshipping lord Ganesh, he is returned to the earth by immersing the idol in water. This act, known as Ganpati Visarjan, symbolizes the cycle of life, from creation to dissolution.
However, dissolving Ganpati idols made of Plaster of Paris can cause severe damage to the water bodies. PoP idols contain extremely harmful materials that are insoluble in water and poison the water bodies, making it inhabitable for the creatures that live in water.
Festivals should be celebrated in a way that doesn’t harm our environment. This Ganesh Chaturthi, we can opt for certain changes that will result in a cleaner, and greener celebration.
Idols
This Ganesh Chaturthi, you can opt for an eco friendly plant Ganesha murti and save the water bodies from getting polluted by the poisonous chemicals. If you are thinking where to find an eco friendly Ganpati murti then, Flipkart, Myecoganesha.com and https://www.mypoojabox.in/collections/eco-friendly-ganesha have got you covered. You can find a variety of eco-friendly idols there that fit every budget and requirement.
You can go for a tree Ganesha idol that contains a seed inside of it. This way you can have a climate conscious celebration and a beautiful plant as well. After the pooja you need to put the idol in a pot and water it regularly. After a while a beautiful sapling will grow out of it.
While talking about eco friendly Ganpati murti, you can also get a small clay idol. The clay idols are made using biodegradable materials and clay that dissolve in water without causing any harm to the ecosystem.
Another eco friendly Ganpati murti option could be a brass idol or a crystal one. These idols look trendy and can enhance the beauty of your pooja room as well.
Pooja Decorations
Other than eco friendly Ganpati murti, you can also use environment friendly decoration items such as flowers, diyaas, and organic paint. This year, ditch the use of plastic, shiny ribbons, glitter, etc. and count Ganpati Bappa’s blessings in a climate conscious way!
There is nothing better than involving your community and doing something fun together. You can get the people of your community into making DIY Ganesha idols and decorations for the festival. You can use vegetable paints, old newspapers, clay, flowers, shells, etc. natural materials for the decoration as well.
Avoid plastic bags for shopping, instead you may use reusable shopping bags made of cloth or jute. For prasad distribution, you can opt for bamboo fiber tableware, or banana leaf plates. Plates made of paper or styrofoam are not biodegradable, hence cannot be recycled. Serve Wares made of above mentioned materials will straight go to reject waste and pollute the environment severely.
Visarjan
Since visarjan is an integral part of the Ganesh Chaturthi pooja, this cannot be completely discarded. Rather, you can use personal tanks or buckets of water to immerse your Ganesha idol. As clay idols dissolve very quickly, you can use the remaining mud for your plants after 2-3 days.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the government posed restrictions, we understand that it is not possible for everyone to celebrate this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi with their loved ones. But, that should not stop anyone from celebrating this grand festival. You can send an eco-friendly Ganesha idol to your family or loved ones, and join them in the pooja virtually. This way you can spend the festival with your loved ones, and contribute towards a eco friendly greener Ganpati festival as well.
Let’s count Bappa’s blessings this year in an eco-friendly way, and help build an environment conscious community around us!