The most awaiting festival
of Maharashtra is about to come in few days. Yes, you guess it right! Ganesh
Festival, the 10 days long festival which honours
the birth of the beloved Hindu elephant-headed god, Lord Ganesha, popularly
worshiped for his ability to remove obstacles and bring good fortune.
Celebration:-
It is celebrated on the fourth day after new moon in the Hindu month of
Bhadrapada. In 2014, Ganesh
Chaturthi is on August 29. Ganesh idol is bought at home worshipped for
1 and half day, 3days, 5days, 7days and 11days) depending on the family
tradition and commitment of each individual and immersed in ocean or other
water bodies on 11th day.
The main Reason of my
article is not to give info on how it is celebrated but how and why we should
choose Eco friendly way to celebrate Ganesh festival.
Reason to choose eco-friendly way
·
Water Pollution:
- 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.
·
Non- biodegradable
items:- 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 water bodies
blocks the natural flow of water. This results in stagnation and breeding of
mosquitoes and other harmful pests.
·
Harmful
for Ecosystem:-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.
·
Traffic
Congestion: - The saddest part of this festivals is traffic congestion at the
day of immersion and around the pandals and sometime due to too many pandals in
particular area.
·
Noise Pollution:
- Noise pollution due lots of songs played all the days and that too loud.
How to Celebrate in Eco
friendly way
·
Use eco-friendly clay idols
painted with natural colors such as turmeric, gheru, multani mitti, etc.
·
Use biodegradable items like plain paper or colored paper for
decorations.
·
Remove items before immersing the idol; flowers, garlands can be used
for planting; plastic and other decoration can be recycled or reused and distribute
clothes, food items like coconuts and fruits to the poor.
·
Use permanent idols made of stone
and perform a symbolic immersion and reuse the idol each year.
·
Avoid public water bodies to
immerse the idols, instead immerse idol in bucket or tub and use the water for
watering the plants.
·
Immersing a 'betel nut' which symbolizes the idol and reusing the same
idol every year.
·
If one is using a PoP (plaster of Paris) 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
·
Minimize use of loudspeakers because it causes noise pollution.
“The
nature of our future depends on the future of our nature.” So let’s pledge to
enjoy our tradition without harming our environment. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
