Ecosensitive Ganesh Chaturthi
About Ganesh Chaturthi
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates one of the most revered Hindu deities of India, Lord Ganesh, who is considered a symbol of wisdom and a bringer of good luck. Ganesh is remembered on chauth or chaturthi, the 4th day of every month of the Hindu calender, but most of all on Ganesh Chaturthi which is celebrated as his birthday. Milk is offered to idols of lord Ganesh at home and at temples, and Ganesh puja is performed at all temples and prayer rooms. Hindus pray to images of Lord Ganesha, large and small, many of them made specially for the occasion by cottage industries and street side artisans, and those that do not wish to keep the idols alive by daily prayers, offerings and lighting oil lamps, immerse them in the nearest water body (all rivers, lakes and the sea which are sacred to Hindus).
Ganesh chaturthi was further promoted by Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who brought to the cause of independence a fire of religious revivalism. Lokmanya Tilak (1856-1920) was a Maharashtrian Brahmin from Poona, who believed that self government could not be achieved by co-operating with the British.
Thanks to Lokmanya Tilak, Ganesh Chaturthi became a major festival of Maharashtra, where thousands of gigantic idols of lord Ganesh are immersed by huge processions of worshipers shouting, Ganpati Bapa Morya, in the Arabian sea and rivers of the state. The festival has now gained popularity all over India.
Environmental Impact of Ganesh Chaturthi
This festival, brings together thousands of people but in modern times is also contributing to serious environmental pollution. Besides the noise created by the several Ganesh mandals during the festival, the immersion of idols made out of chemical materials causes significant water pollution. The traditional mud idols have been replaced by plaster of paris statues which are then painted using toxic chemical dyes to make them bright and attractive to buyers. These materials poison water bodies, by increasing chemical and organic content. In the process, ecosystems in these water bodies gate harmed and plant and fish species die in large numbers. Water that has been polluted in this way can cause diseases when drunk by people living downstream.
The Problems
The materials used to make some Ganesh idols may be toxic!
Plaster of paris contains gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium
Chemical paints contain mercury, cadmium, lead and carbon
Immersion of these can poison the waters of lakes, rivers and the sea by
increasing acidity
increasing solid matter
increasing organic matter
increasing content of heavy metals
Such pollution damages the ecosystem by
Killing the fishes
Damaging the plants
Blocking the natural flow of the water and causing stagnation
And damages health by polluting drinking water sources causing
Breathing problems
Blood diseases
Skin diseases
The Alternatives
Use permanent idols made of brass or stone
Do a symbolic immersion
Reuse the same idol again the next year
Use a small unpainted idol made of unbaked clay if you immerse the idol
Immerse the idol in a tub or a water tank
Collect the flowers and nirmalya and compost them
Avoid the use of thermocole and plastic in decorations
Several groups are now developing ecosensitive Ganesh idols that do not pollute. Amongst the materials that people are experimenting with there are idols made out of recycled waste paper, natural clay and other natural fibres.
In 2006 Kalpavriksh developed natural clay idols along with the disabled children of ASHA school. Read more about the idols here.
Raising Awarenesss
As part of the Safe Festival Campaign, Kalpavriksh has created posters in English and Marathi. These posters were distributed by the Center for Environment Education to schools and colleges in Pune and are also being distributed by the Pune Municipal Corporation.
Click here to see the poster in English or Marathi
Read more articles on this subject here...
To know more contact Manisha at shethgutman@gmail.com or call at 9850084383
