Some Good, Some Bad and Some Beautiful Changes this Ganesh Chaturthi
While clay and PoP idols continued to be sold across the city, some citizens chose to celebrate in unique ways
Massive PoP Ganeshas sitting majestically in a row (pic, Durgaprasad C) are a contrast to this homemade Ganesha made of cowdung with garike hullu (a type of grass) and Gowramma made of turmeric, pepper, clove and kumkum (pic. courtesy Mauli Buch)
NSoJ Bureau
Bengaluru: Did the city see a complete switch to an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi? Unfortunately, not really. A quick tour of Bengaluru revealed that Ganesha Idols made from Plaster of Paris (PoP) continued to be sold across the city despite the ban on such idols.
Traditional potters and idol makers tend to use PoP and cover it with layers of clay. This means brightly painted PoP idols still found a huge market, this time too.
Why the ban on PoP
This year, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) did raise awareness on switching to eco-friendly Ganesha idols. The BBMP has in fact, banned the use of PoP because the chemicals used in the paints can be hazardous for the environment. Also, when such idols are immersed in the water, it can harm the fish and other living creatures and also, cause irreparable damage to the water bodies. The BBMP had announced a fine on all those who continued to use such idols. The civic body also set up temporary immersion points, designated ponds and mobile tanks across the city.
But, did the BBMP act on stall owners who put up PoP idols? Srinivas, a godown owner in South Bangalore told NSoJ that only some godown owners were targeted. “Every year they (BBMP) will come with new rules and action to control the damage caused to the environment, but they end up bowing to political pressure from local politicians and some godown owners go scot free,” he alleged.
PoP continued to sell...
After touring stalls that were set up for the festival, this reporter found that some stall owners sold mud or clay idols just to be on the safe side but most stocked both painted PoP and mud idols. In areas like Katriguppe, Banashankari, Yediyur and Mavalli, as also, DVG Road in Basavanagudi, many idol makers did brisk business for the festival. In fact, most of the Ganesha idols were made of materials including plastic, thermocol and PoP, all of which are non- biodegradable.
Idol makers say the BBMP’s ban on PoP idols is a good move but difficult to implement. “We know clay is eco-friendly. But manufacturing large idols out of clay is difficult because sourcing it is tough,” explained Krishnamurthy, a stall owner in Mavalli, South Bengaluru. According to him, local Ganesha committees are the biggest buyers of PoP idols. “These are local resident committees that set up pandals for Ganesh Chaturthi. They are the ones who choose big idols that are more than five feet tall. However, we cannot make such large idols out of clay because then the idol becomes too heavy to transport. That’s why people prefer PoP for bigger idols,” says Krishnamurthy.
But some beautiful changes too
As always, the festival had households revelling in traditional goodies and sweets. “On this occasion we make special ‘modaks’ (dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery), apart from other sweets that are loved by Lord Ganesha,” said Lakshmi, a home-maker who lives in J P Nagar.
The good news is that some Bangaloreans chose not to buy Ganesha idols and instead, decided to create their own Ganeshas at home using clay, mud and materials like leaves, flowers etc. “Ganapathi idols are traditionally made from pure clay, without any chemicals. From this year onwards, let’s pledge to use only eco-friendly Ganesha idols. Ganapathi bappa moriya!” exclaimed Kishore, a businessman, who lives in J P Nagar.
Independent media consultant Mauli Buch always has a very special festival at her in-laws’ home in Yelahanka. “Every year, my Amma (mother-in-law) and my husband Abhinava make the Gowri and Ganesha idols. Amma makes the Ganesha idol out of cow-dung with garike hullu (a type of grass) for the hair. Abhi makes the Gowramma out of turmeric, using pepper for the eyes, clove for the nose, with kumkum for the lips and other accents. Once the pooja is done, the idols return to the soil, nourishing whatever plant is growing there,” she explained. Can a celebration be more meaningful?
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the elephant-headed God, Ganesha, often considered the God of new beginnings and the God of wisdom and intelligence. If more people follow such eco- friendly practices, then Ganesha Chaturthi will truly become a festival for new beginnings and also, a much cleaner city.
