Ganesh Chaturthi—a festival of joy, beautiful parades, ‘modaks,’ and coming together with our families to worship the Hindu God of wisdom—is fast approaching. By now, many of you would have started decorating your homes, booked your Ganesha idol and have probably prepared a list of sweets you wish to eat during the festival. 

The 10-day festival is a joyous occasion for millions, but it is crucial to understand that when we play loud music every night and immerse the idol in a water body, we are causing great harm to the environment. Therefore, by getting home an eco-friendly idol, we can take a positive step towards protecting the environment, and make our celebrations clean, green and auspicious in the truest sense. 

Not just idols, you can have green decorations for this festival!

A lasting effect

Idols are usually made by Plaster of Paris (POP), plastic and cement. For decoration, they are adorned with toxic paints, heavy decoration and flowers. Plaster of Paris has the presence of an element called calcium sulfate hemihydrate, it takes several years to fully dissolve. It also leads to a reduction in oxygen levels in water and kills fishes and other aquatic animals. 

When immersed in water, they do not dissolve easily but instead, live on for a decade and transfer from one water body to another, leaving behind a damageable effect on rivers and lakes. When mixed with other poisonous wastes. The effect stays for as long as 100 years.

If you are among those who have waited to purchase an eco-friendly Ganesha idol, your search ends now. Here are a few eco-friendly alternatives you can opt for – 

Seed idols 

These idols are made from cow-dung! Kolla Manjunath plants a seed inside the idol, making them 100% biodegradable and sustainable. This Ganesha festival, you need not immerse your idol in rivers, lakes or seas. Instead, you can plant them in your garden and have God bless you throughout the year!

Welcome into your home a murti of Tree Ganesha. It is basically made up of red soil, organic fertilizers, natural colors, and seeds that will transform Ganesha into a tree. This 9-inch idol weighs up to 4 kg and one person can easily handle it.

To place an order, visit Tree Ganesha. 

Paper mache idols 

Yes, this Ganesha is using his divine powers to turn paper into a plant! How? MASES makes Ganesha idols from recycled newspapers and clay with a plant seed inside. When your celebrations are over, you can plant the idol in a pot and water it as usual. Within seven days, they promise you will have a sapling growing out of the idol!

If you are in India or out of the country, you can check out Paper Ganesh to place an order. 

Turmeric Ganesha 

When you make your own turmeric Ganesha, you not only get the satisfaction of your own creation but you will also be saving water bodies and helping plants grow healthy, post immersion. 

Since pure turmeric is a natural antibiotic and disinfectant, the water in which turmeric Ganesha is immersed, can be used for plants. It serves as organic manure that increases soil fertility, boosts plant growth and also purifies water.

If you wish to make one by yourself, here is a video to guide you or you can buy one online.