Trending now: Seed ball Ganesh idols

NAVI MUMBAI: With the trend of eco-friendly Ganeshotsav catching up in the city, residents are going a step further with another green concept — seed ball Ganpati idols.

A seed is planted inside the clay idol that can be immersed in shallow water or buried.

“A beautiful sapling germinates from it and can be replanted anywhere. This is an effort to bring back greenery and encourage people to go for an eco-friendly celebration,” said Dharmendra Kar, 45, an environmentalist and one of several Kharghar residents organising seed ball Ganpati workshops.

As part of the workshop, people are educated about the adverse effects on aquatic life caused by plaster of Paris Ganesha idols.

Kar said he has already conducted workshops at five housing societies and received an overwhelming response, especially from children.

Mahesh Rane, the secretary of Silverstar housing society in Kharghar, said residents have said no to plaster of Paris Ganpati idols this year.

“This has turned out to be a positive decision as our kids will learn about preserving the environment,” said Rane.

Anirudh Gokhar, 40, a resident of Exotica housing society, said, “We will try and convince people to opt for seed ball Ganpati idol and plant seeds in our society’s garden.”

Kar’s next seed ball Ganpati workshop will be held on Saturday in front of Dew Bonanza Society at Sector 35G in Kharghar. The registration fee is ₹100 per head.

An artisan readies seed ball Ganesh idol at shop in Navi Mumbai. A workshop will be held at Kharghar on Saturday. BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT