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Housing societies in Mumbai opt for an eco-friendly visarjan
Several housing societies have opted for environment-friendly festivities, wherein the immersion of the idol takes place in an artificial pond.
Vivek Jain, a resident of Andheri, decided to immerse his Ganpati idol made from shadu clay in a make-shift pool in his building compound, so that the elderly members and the kids of the society could participate in the process too.
“Changing times demand that we change the way we celebrate festivals. Today, there is so much traffic on the roads, that it is difficult to take old people for visarjan, though they are the ones who perform all the poojas. Since festivals are all about getting people together, we end up bonding with our neighbours over the process,” said Jain.
Like Jain, several other housing societies in the city too have opted for environment-friendly festivities, wherein the immersion of the idol takes place in an artificial pond in the society premises, and the clay that remains from the idol is added to the soil in the society garden. Immersing idols and decorations in natural water bodies can choke aquatic life.
Residents of Oberoi Springs in Andheri have dhol tasha players playing the drums on the immersion day, while they carry their Ganpati in the compound, before dipping the idol in a big drum-like structure.
Sanjiv Walia from Juhu started the practice in his housing society six years back, after he saw broken hands and legs of an idol on a beach, one day after immersion.
Similarly, residents of Amrit Shakti in Chandivali have immersed around 55 idols in the artificial pond set up in their premises. Manju Yagnik, vice chairperson, Nahar Group, who came up with the idea, explained the concept by linking it to the Sanskrit term ‘Moksha’.
“Moksha indicates that everything eventually dissolves in nature. The initiative explains the same, and also helps reduce environmental damage,” said Yagnik.