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Your space: Celebrate Ganeshotsav the responsible way, say Punekars
Residents take steps to celebrate Ganesh festival in a more eco-friendly and less noisy manner, besides contributing towards social issues
All festivals in India, including Ganesh Chaturthi, are celebrated with pomp and joy. The faithful take a lot of effort to right from choosing flowers and decorating puja rooms and pandals, to making delicacies like modaks filled with coconut and jaggery. It is also an occasion where the families unite and have fun. However, while doing so, we often cause harm to the environment. Many of the Ganpati idols available in the markets are made of plastic, thermocol and plaster of Paris. When these idols are immersed in water, they have detrimental effect on the environment. While many awareness initiatives have helped reduce the use of such materials, it is our responsibility to protect the environment. Kalyani Yeotikar
Made an eco-friendly idol at home
Only clay and mud Ganesh idols should be bought or made by everyone. This year, to make things exciting and eco-friendly, I made my own Ganesh idol by using a kilogram of clay. Upcycling old products to carve an idol is a good way of doing this. For two days, my entire family participated to make the idol. Such activities not only bring in a traditional charm to the festival, but also add a zest of creativity and life in an eco-friendly way. We must stay away from indulging in activities that pollute our environment.
Ajinkya Deshpande
Did not give donation to mandals
While celebrating the festival we must not forget the basic purpose of why it was started in the first place. Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi publically began to spread a social message of unity. However, contrary to its reason of inception, now instead of unity, there is enmity between different Ganesh mandals in the city to prove which has a better and a louder DJ systems or who spends more money. We are deviating from the moot point of celebrating the festival. This year, I refused giving any donation to mandals in my community and instead bought a small idol at my home and gave the prasad (offerings) to various orphanages and old age homes in the city. Let’s spread a message of peace and harmony instead of enmity.
Ankita Jain
Immerse idol at home in a bucket or pit
Immersion of Ganesh idols in lakes, tanks, and other water bodies is not good for the environment and the marine life. Many a times the idol does not dissolve completely and leave several pollutants. Hence, symbolic immersion at the comfort of your home is a better option. Any huge bucket or pit can be used for this. Since last two years, I have been immersing the idol in a bucket and use the water with mud in watering my plants in the garden. No tradition says that the idol has to be immersed in rivers or lakes which pollute them eventually. Even if people start doing these basic things, we will elicit a major change, thus helping our own ecosystem.
Dipesh Raut
Collect nirmalya and convert to compost
We must inspire, encourage and unite with neighbours to collect biodegradable waste from every home to be put in a community compost pit. It includes nirmalya (offerings, flowers and garlands) from pujas and decorations during the Ganpati celebration. All organic waste generated can be used to fertilise gardens and nearby parks. The non-biodegradable waste can be recycled, and your devotional vibrations will help create greener surroundings for you and the generations to come. We have to ensure that while celebrating such festivals publically, we must not harm the environment. Instead we should take the opportunity to spread a message of preserving the environment. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to people to celebrate festivals in an eco-friendly manner.
Shripad Patki
Ban DJ and loud music during the festival
DJ and dolby systems should be banned during Ganpati immersion. Immersions are loud and disruptive, and impact the elderly, pets and animals, and children negatively if not handled carefully. Instead of large speakers, having people chant devotional songs and prayers during the deity’s immersion is certainly more fitting while at the same time giving a devotional aura to the entire celebration. It’s shameful when people in a drunk state dance during immersion on some Bollywood tunes. Ganpati puja was not started to take this form of celebration eventually. It must be stopped and if needed by strict police enforcements. These festivals should not be celebrated as new year parties.
Apoorva Belsare
Make the celebration memorable
Ganeshotav is a very lovable festival of common man and s/he always looks forward to it. Over a period, the festival has got associated with long queues for darshan, loud noise during welcome and immersion processions as well as during the ten days of celebration. On a personal level, we have started bringing small idol made of clay. The decoration is totally environment friendly. But it is a pleasure to see many Ganesh mandals opting for environment-friendly makhar (decorations). Loud noise is comparatively less, but still miles to go. The authorities should take steps to ensure that the immersion of idols should not extend to the next day. Ganesh is the most lovable deity and his festival also should be people and environment-friendly.
Maya Hemant Bhatkar
Contribute to social causes
Ganpati Bappa is welcome. Ganpati festival should be celebrated in an eco-friendly manner. By spending large amount of money on the festival is a national waste. We live in a modern society and must act in a responsible way. Items which are banned and affects environment must be discontinued like thermocol and plastic. Noise pollution which is harmful to human beings should be controlled. Artificial ponds must be arranged and made it compulsory by authorities to avoid bad effect to environment. Some amount of fund collected by mandals should be contributed towards social causes.
Anoop Panjwani.
