5 Eco-Friendly Practices for Ganesh Chaturthi
Turn over a new leaf this festive season and choose products and practices that do not harm the environment
Ganesh Chaturthi: It spells days of festivities at home and exuberant processions carrying colourful Ganesha idols to the waterside for immersion. It also spells noise, water pollution and energy wastage, adding to the burden on Mother Earth. Not very good Karma, don’t you think? The good news is that it doesn’t take much to go green; just a few tweaks and choices can guarantee a good time and create an environment of positivity in and around the home at the same time. Here are a few tips.
Beautify the shrine with natural decor
To decorate the prayer area for the festival, choose natural, recyclable elements that don’t harm the environment yet look beautiful. Think clay diyas, banana leaves for plates, a garland of paan (betel) leaves, and such things.
Tip: You could create a little compost pit to attend to the problem of leftover organic puja samagri. After the festival is over, collect all the used offerings of garlands, flowers and leaves; bury them in your garden or community park. Since all the elements are biodegradable, they won’t harm the environment.
A designer shares design tips for building a puja room
To decorate the prayer area for the festival, choose natural, recyclable elements that don’t harm the environment yet look beautiful. Think clay diyas, banana leaves for plates, a garland of paan (betel) leaves, and such things.
Tip: You could create a little compost pit to attend to the problem of leftover organic puja samagri. After the festival is over, collect all the used offerings of garlands, flowers and leaves; bury them in your garden or community park. Since all the elements are biodegradable, they won’t harm the environment.
A designer shares design tips for building a puja room
Choose non-toxic colours
Some rangoli powder colours used to make floor decorations contain harmful chemicals that can adversely affect health. Choose natural biodegradable colours such as turmeric, henna or mehendi, rice powder and organic gulaal – the vegetable powder colours increasingly used at Holi. Such colours neither pose a threat to the health of the people at home nor do they affect the environment. They can be easily wiped clean or swept away, without causing any permanent colour stains on the floor, which is, you’ll agree, a bonus.
Some rangoli powder colours used to make floor decorations contain harmful chemicals that can adversely affect health. Choose natural biodegradable colours such as turmeric, henna or mehendi, rice powder and organic gulaal – the vegetable powder colours increasingly used at Holi. Such colours neither pose a threat to the health of the people at home nor do they affect the environment. They can be easily wiped clean or swept away, without causing any permanent colour stains on the floor, which is, you’ll agree, a bonus.
Save energy
Many of us like to keep our puja rooms lit up during the days of Ganesh Chaturthi with lots of electric tea lights, pendants, lamps and bulbs to enhance the decorations. This can lead to energy wastage. Switch on these fixtures only during prayer time or choose LED or earthen oil lamps that save costs. Avoid playing loud music and prayers on your music player all day long. It causes noise pollution and distresses animals, infants and neighbours around you.
Take a look at more more puja room designs
Many of us like to keep our puja rooms lit up during the days of Ganesh Chaturthi with lots of electric tea lights, pendants, lamps and bulbs to enhance the decorations. This can lead to energy wastage. Switch on these fixtures only during prayer time or choose LED or earthen oil lamps that save costs. Avoid playing loud music and prayers on your music player all day long. It causes noise pollution and distresses animals, infants and neighbours around you.
Take a look at more more puja room designs
Opt for a symbolic immersion
The immersion of the idol in the sea, rivers, lakes or ponds causes water pollution. Instead of immersing the Ganesha idol in natural water bodies, think of a symbolic immersion right at home. You could take a large metal or stone bowl and immerse the idol in this.
This article was first published on Houzz India in 2017.
Read more:
10 Elements That Will Bring a Sparkle to Your Puja Room
Tell us:
Do you practice an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi? Tell us how in Comments below.
The immersion of the idol in the sea, rivers, lakes or ponds causes water pollution. Instead of immersing the Ganesha idol in natural water bodies, think of a symbolic immersion right at home. You could take a large metal or stone bowl and immerse the idol in this.
This article was first published on Houzz India in 2017.
Read more:
10 Elements That Will Bring a Sparkle to Your Puja Room
Tell us:
Do you practice an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi? Tell us how in Comments below.
Most idols in the market are made of plaster of Paris (PoP) that contains harmful chemicals like gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium and are also painted with synthetic pigments. On various days of the festival, these statues are immersed in the sea, lakes or rivers, releasing their toxic pollutants in the water. Also immersed are other items of puja samagri or ritual prayer accompaniments, like flowers, metallic diyas, incense sticks, plastic packets of prasad and so on, many of which aren’t biodegradable, leading to more water pollution.
Instead of purchasing these statues, opt for smaller idols made of natural, biodegradable elements like clay, painted with vegetable colours, so that after immersion (visarjan) the idol dissolves harmlessly in the water.
Tip: As a fun, family-bonding activity with your children this Ganesh Chaturthi, try making a DIY Ganesha right at home with clay, papier mâché or flour. Just take one of these materials, mix it with water and make a dough.
Divide it into five portions; two large and three small. Take the first large portion to make his body. Shape it using your fingers. Now use the second large portion to make his head; remember to join it with the body seamlessly. You can use a toothpick to mark the eyes.
Now use the first small portion to create his legs – roll up the dough to give the legs a proper shape. Use the second small portion to make his ears and hands – flatten and shape the clay a little and attach the hands and ears gently. Finally, the third small portion is for the trunk – use a pencil or a toothpick to give the trunk some detailing.
Find an interior designer to plan a puja room in your home