Festive atmosphere is on and the celebrations are high. Ganesh Chaturthi is round the corner and the preparations have begun days before. Idols are being purchased, houses are being decorated and sweets are being ordered. Festivities help the very cause of being in a society but not at the cost of our environment. So, why not go eco-friendly by going green. We have to stop purchasing idols with chemical paints and Plaster of Paris on it. It may look attractive but it takes years to disintegrate in water after its immersion. It has got many harmful effects on aquatic life. Chemical paints contain toxic substances which take really long to degrade. We have alternatives like shifting to the traditional usage of clay idols instead of Plaster of Paris. We can also make use of edible dyes and these days natural pigments such as turmeric are made use to paint the idols of the Lord.
The picture of Lord Ganesha you see above is the one brought in our house this year. Every year we bring home clay idol and immerse it in a bucket of water and that water is later used in the garden to water plants. Though arrangements are made for the immersion of the idol in public places people still immerse it in lakes. On the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi let’s take a pledge that we shall GO GREEN and SAVE ENVIRONMENT.
A green festival awaits us. Let the Lord of knowledge and success shower his blessings on mankind.
