Seed-infused, red soil idols: Going the eco-friendly way this Ganesh Chaturthi
To popularise eco-friendly idols, city NGO Sevalaya has made seed-infused Ganesha idols for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. "Artisans from rural areas have made the idols with mud and have embedded them with the seeds of ladies' fingers. We are promoting the importance of eco-friendly celebrations through this initiative. Idols that are made of Plaster of Paris harm the environment. Some people discard the idols after a pooja at home. But seed-infused clay idols can be placed in a pot and will germinate in a few days. Not just going eco-friendly, this can also be a great start for your kitchen garden," says M Rajesh, donor relations officer of Sevalaya. They are selling Ganesha idol with an umbrella for Rs 300.
Zero-waste practitioner Nithya suggests people make idols with red garden soil. "People in villages used to take river bed soil and make idols. It is a form of workshopping the soil. I have seen people making idols with clay and dissolve them in the sea. But this is counterproductive to the whole ideology of the festival that worships nature. This soil type is not meant to be at the bottom of the ocean. Even if you dissolve the same in a pot it wouldn't help either as the clayey soil isn't aerated enough for growing house plants. So, the best alternative would be using red soil and cow dung. The composition of red garden soil usually has high clay content, along with sand and silt. This is more than enough clay to make it a perfect ingredient to make idols," shares Nithya.