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SHGs give an eco-friendly touch to Diwali, handcraft idols of cow dung
A group of rural women artists of Prayagraj city and its adjoining rural areas are doing their bit to protect the environment this Diwali
A group of rural women artists of Prayagraj city and its adjoining rural areas are doing their bit to protect the environment this Diwali.
These rural women are busy making eco-friendly idols of deities for the festival of lights. They are making idols of Lord Ganesh, Goddess Lakshmi and other deities by using cow dung—considered pious by Hindus—along with purified cow urine believed to have many medicinal properties, and the unique natural resin “lac”.
These eco-friendly products being made by rural women under the guidance of city-based Bioved Research Institute of Agriculture and Technology (BRIAT), are in great demand not just in the local markets but also in New Delhi and Kolkata. Many of the wholesalers of these cities have exported these idols to even South-Asian countries and even the US.
The self-help groups, comprising rural women from small villages like Purab Nara, Serawan, Sirawa, Khragapur of Holagarh block besides Mohrabh, Aanapur of Kaudihar block along with women from Siphuan, Salayiakurd, Salaiyan Kala, Singhpur etc of Koraon block are busy meeting the demand for these eco-friendly idols, diyas, candle stands, wooden lanterns, show pieces etc. They are being supported for the cause by BRIAT.
“These idols are prepared using powder of sun-dried cow dung cakes mixed with naturally grown lac which has adhesive properties. This mixture is then used to handcraft idols. Finally, these idols get a coat of eco-friendly colour,” said Manju Pandey, one of the women artisans of village Sirawa of Holagarh block.
“The demand for these idols is so high that we are unable to meet the orders of the customers. People who come to know that these idols are made from cow dung and lac, order for them immediately,” said Manju.
BK Dwivedi, director of the Bioved institute, said, due to pandemic the work has been affected and the women could not fulfil the demand from the US for the supply of 4 lakh such diyas, but they are happy at being back to work.
Most of the orders are either from big cities of the country or the international market, but things have drastically changed for the better after the clash and stand-off with China on Ladakh border and people calling for boycotting Chinese goods, said Dwivedi.
Besides being eco-friendly, they are also fully bio-degradable and affordable, very light and durable, and this makes them a preferred choice among customers. “The layer of lac, technically called lacquering, makes these idols more eye-catching and matches the finishing that one gets in Chinese goods,’’ he added.
“Last year we trained local rural women in making flower pots using cow dung collected from the streets and lac through our innovative technique, and this year they are making candle stands and lanterns using wood from Eucalyptus tree too,” said Dwivedi.
