India is gripped in the Ganesh Chaturthi revelry, and people across the country are welcoming Lord Ganesha to their homes. This is the first time in two years that celebrations for Chaturthi - one of the major Hindu festivals - are being observed without Covid restrictions.
In the midst of climate change concerns, a lot of focus is on the eco-friendly idols. The demand for such idols is reported to have increased in Chhattisgarh.
“We've made five different types of idols which include matchsticks and incense sticks idols," said an idol artisan elaborating the ways in which eco- friendly idols have been made. Artisans also explained how idols were made keeping the environment in mind by using dhan (paddy), matchsticks, and rice.
An eco- friendly Lord Ganesh idol inside a bottle by a miniature artist from Odisha demonstrates the respect people have for both the one-tusked god and nature.
{{/usCountry}}An eco- friendly Lord Ganesh idol inside a bottle by a miniature artist from Odisha demonstrates the respect people have for both the one-tusked god and nature.
{{/usCountry}}Odisha sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik also made a sand sculpture on the occasion with over 3,400 sand ladoos at Puri beach, Odisha. He inscribed the sand art with the message " Happy Ganesh Puja".
Ganesh Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chaturthi, is one of the most auspicious festivals observed by Hindus every year. It is believed that Lord Ganesha was born during the Chaturthi Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month (August or September).
The 10-day Ganeshotsav marks the birth of Lord Ganesh, during which devotees bring lord Ganesh idols to their homes and worship the god of wisdom and good fortune, seeking his blessings for a prosperous and happy life. The festival ends with Ganesh Visarjan on September 9 when devotees immerse the idols of Lord Ganesha in a water body after a grand street procession.
(With agency inputs)