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Ganesh Chaturthi is knocking at the door, and we are already in a festive mood! Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India. The day marks the birth of Lord Ganesh. We worship Lord Ganesha on this day and count his blessings. Lord Ganesha is known for bringing good fortune, wealth, prosperity, and good health to our lives.
Every year Hindus celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi by throwing a grand feast following the pooja. On this day, idols are installed in homes and pandals. Venues are decorated with fairy lights, flowers, etc. Bappa is worshipped with the chanting of the holy shlokas and offerings of sweets, flowers, etc. People from all across the country come together and dance, sing, perform on this occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Another important part of the pooja is the making and distribution of Modak. Modak is believed to be Bappa’s favorite sweet. On his birth anniversary, devotees make modaks and distribute them among everyone as prasad. Then comes the Visarjan. Every year the idols of Ganesha are immersed in water followed by a grand procession in order to bid adieu to Lord Ganesha. The proceedings are accompanied by chants, dance, prasad distribution, etc. The immersion symbolizes Ganpati Bappa’s return to his home and is one of the most significant parts of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration.
But the immersion of idols in water bodies can also have a negative impact on our environment. The harmful materials used to make the idols can dissolve in the water and poison it. This may cause the destruction of the living creatures in the water and harm the ecosystem. You are probably thinking about the alternatives for this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Don’t worry; we have a curated list of ideas that might help you celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi this year.
1. Ditch the regular idol: This year, bring home a plant Ganesha idol and contribute your share towards nature. This eco-friendly Ganesha idol comes with a seed inside of it. Upon watering the idol for about a week, the sapling will start to come out of the seed. This will free you from the hassle of immersion and gift you a beautiful plant to remind you of Ganpati Bappa. So, let’s count Bappa’s blessings this year in a greener way!
2. DIY immersion tank: If you feel the need to immerse the idol to complete the pooja rituals, you can make your immersion tank. Get a bucket or a tub and immerse your idol in that. You can also ask people around you to do the same in order to reduce water pollution and celebrate an environment-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi.
3. Switch to banana leaf: If you want to celebrate this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi in a sustainable way, then ditch plastic or paper plates for prasad distribution. You can opt for banana leaves, or if you are ready to increase your budget a bit more, you can opt for bamboo fiber serving ware. Plates and containers made using plastic or paper are not 100% biodegradable and are very harmful to the environment.
4. DIY decorations: Opt for DIY decorations for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations this year. Decorate your home with handmade paintings, organic paints, flowers, recycled papers, etc. You can encourage the kids to take part in decorating your home as well.
We hope that Ganpati Bappa showers you and your loved ones with all of his blessings this year and makes your journeys smoother for responsibly celebrating his grand day. At My Pooja Box, you can find a vast collection of eco-friendly Ganesh idols to choose from. You can also get the plant Ganesha from there and keep Bappa in the form of a piece of nature with you, forever.
