Author: Vijay Singh in Mumbai
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: September 21, 2004
URL: http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/21spec.htm
This year Ganesh Chaturthi will
be a little less polluting.
A Mumbai-based non-governmental
organisation, the Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Upasana Trust, headed by Dr Aniruddha
Joshi aka Bapu, has taken up the task of spreading awareness about environment-friendly
Ganesh idols.
"One-and-a-half months back we decided
to encourage people to make Ganesh idols using paper pulp, which will reduce
pollution and won't harm fish," said Sandhyaveera Jaykar, a member of the
trust.
Earlier, Jaykar said, idols were
made of clay, which is not easily available and is heavy. So artists started
using plaster of paris, which is cheaper and lighter, and chemicals. But
these cause pollution.
The organisation collects waste
paper, shreds it, and turns it into pulp, which is then rinsed, dried,
and again put into a mixer to get fine powder. The powder is then mixed
with water to be made into papier mache. Around 20 per cent clay and starch
is added to the material so that it binds well.
Except for the golden colour used
for the crown and other ornaments, the colours used are natural, mostly
vegetable dyes.
"Golden colour makes the idols
attractive," Jaykar said. "We are trying to find out how to make eco- friendly
golden colour."
Idols prepared in this fashion dissolve
in water within a few hours. "We got a very good response from people,
who called us from various places to congratulate us for our efforts,"
she said. "We also received idol orders from them."
This year the trust made idols in
three sizes - 6, 9, and 13 inches high, costing Rs 75, Rs 150, and Rs 175,
respectively. They received orders for 235 idols from Mumbai and 35 from
Pune.
"Making Ganesh idols using paper
pulp is easy and anyone can come to learn it from us," said Chetan Dabholkar,
another member of the trust. "We do not charge any fee."
The trust has also approached professional
idol-makers to teach them how to make the eco-friendly idols. "We taught
an idol-maker from Pen, where a lot of idols are made," said Dabholkar.
"He has agreed to promote the use of paper pulp in idol-making."
The trust's job doesn't end with
making idols, though. There is also a post-immersion plan in place, where
devotees visit various seafronts a day after the immersion and collect
all the idols that have floated back. These idols are then re-immersed.
Also, the floral offerings, which
are not allowed to be thrown into sea, lie scattered on the beaches. These
are also picked up and taken away for vermiculture.