The price difference is negligible for small idols, he said as a young worker squatted on the floor near him and painted a red streak down the trunk of a miniature Ganesh. One such artist in central Mumbai, Rajen Pulekar, said he has been making Ganesh sculptures for the past 25 years and has seen a trend toward plaster of Paris ones. Sometimes that coincides with natural products, but often it does not.
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Idol-makers say most clients make their decision based on cost, weight and glamour. “Devotion and environmental protection go hand in hand,” he said, noting that Ganesh himself, a god with an elephant head and human body, should be a reminder of the unity between man and animals.īut persuading customers to prioritize the environment over having the most attractive and impressive idols has been a struggle. Some groups have also promoted artificial tanks for the immersion ritual rather than natural water bodies.Įnvironmental lawyer and activist Girish Raut argues that the eco-friendly efforts should not provoke controversy because environmental protection is integral to all religions.
Ganesh festival paris how to#
The Green Ganesh campaign includes efforts to persuade worshippers to buy clay or paper idols that biodegrade more easily, and workshops aimed at teaching idol-makers and paint companies how to use eco-friendly materials. And the idols, painted with brilliant colors and elaborate designs, can reach up to 25 feet high. Now about 5 million idols are made in Maharashtra each year, Singh said. The festival has also exploded in popularity and intensity. The health risks extend to humans, who eat the fish and drink the water. After the water immersion, the plaster idols do not biodegrade, and the chemicals pollute the water and disrupt the fish and plant life, say environmentalists. However, in the past few decades, modern materials such as plaster of Paris as well as lead- and zinc-based paints have become popular. He is also associated with wisdom and overcoming obstacles.įor centuries the idols were made out of mud or soil, which easily biodegraded in the water. Ganesh is worshipped as the god of success. 11 and lasts almost two weeks, by making sculptures of Ganesh, bringing them home to worship and then immersing them in a sea of water to bid farewell to Lord Ganesh. Indians celebrate the festival, which began Sept.
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“It’s an effort to make the whole festival eco-friendly because it results in a lot of water pollution at the end of the day,” said state environment secretary Valsa Nair Singh.
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The state government for Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, and local NGOs and activists have responded with a campaign to give Ganesh a makeover - of the green variety. As the festival has grown in popularity and become modernized and, some would argue, commercialized, its traditional practices have developed into a strain on India’s environment. Idol maker Sagar Chitale unveils one of the Ganesh sculptures he made at his shop in Mumbai.īut all is not merry.