The festive season is about to begin with Ganesh Chaturthi right around the corner! It’s that time of the year which people enjoy to the fullest, celebrating back to back festivals of different cultures. While it is a time filled with great enjoyment for us, it comes at a huge cost for nature.
The huge idols which we immerse in the rivers is made using Plaster of Paris (POP). Once POP settles in the river beds, it pollutes the entire river making any kind of aquatic life almost impossible to sustain. The elaborate decorations used in pandals are made out of thermocol, which is again a non-biodegradable substance causing land pollution. Furthermore, it releases harmful gases if burnt. At the end of the festive season with so much waste everywhere, the outlook is indeed abysmal for the environment.
To curb this situation, 2,138 Bengaluru citizens joined hands to make eco-friendly Ganesha idols using pottery clay ahead of one of the biggest festivals of the country – Ganesh Chaturthi.
A total of 2,138 Bengalurians came together to make eco-friendly Ganesha idols. They created a Guinness World Record for the highest number of people gathered for sculpting with model clay.
📸: IANS pic.twitter.com/QFJG9X8uIe
— The Weather Channel India (@weatherindia) August 27, 2019
According to sources, the Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav team organised a huge idol-making event at National College grounds. Nearly 800 Kgs of clay was used to make these idols. Alongside adults, it was a delight to see little children getting their hands dirty and making small idols!
Not only did the initiative set a brilliant example for other festival organisers to follow, but they also etched their name in the Guinness Book of World Records! They were miles ahead of the previous record, which was 589 people.
“Immersing PoP idols with chemical-based paint in water bodies creates a bigger inorganic chain. Aquatic life too gets destroyed. A clay-seed idol not only reduces the use of other idols, but also encourages plants to grow in its place in a few weeks,” said the Managing Trustee of the team.
We sincerely hope that more people take eco-friendly initiatives during festivals. Even religious practices should come with environmental responsibility.