Marcela Ganesha @ 2015

Marcela Ganesha 2015

For over a decade now , Marcela , a small town in Ponda taluka , witnesses a huge rush of visitors during Chaturthi season . The reason- the unique creative Ganesha idols made by local artistes .

Locals say it was Namdev Tari, from Sai KalaMandal at Tariwada- Marcela , who pioneered the concept that is now followed by different groups across the state.Now they make Ganesha idols with coconuts , beetle nuts , raw corn , cotton , wax , bamboo etc.

This year also they have come up with amazing creative Ganesha idols made up of eco-friendly material .

Idols from a distant village of Marcela

  

Juvecharaja , Marcela -Goa

 







Sarvajanik Ganesh utsav near Marcela market

      

Eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

''The nature of our future depends on the future of our nature''.

This Ganesh  Chaturthi, let's all pledge to celebrate the great Elephant God in an eco-friendly manner.

Read on to know how you can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in an eco-friendly manner.

Avoiding Plaster  of Paris(POP) Idols

Plaster of Paris (POP) is one of the most common elements used to create  the Ganesha idols.POP is not a natural occurring material;hence it takes a lot of time to dissolve .It is made from gypsum.It can even take several months or years to dissolve completely.Hence we should always get idols made of mud .Further it will help people those who are into pottery making industry.

Avoiding Chemical Dyes and Colours
The chemical dyes used to paint these idols are also harmful as they result in water pollution .The chemical paints on the idols contain poisonous and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, etc. which enter the water as the idol dissolves and harm water life .Instead use natural colours such as turmeric, gheru , multani mitti , etc. for idols.

Decoration
Don't use materials like thermocol or plastics for decoration which are not degradable and which do not dissolve in water. Instead you can use biodegradable items like plain paper or coloured paper for decoration .

Immersion
Remove flowers, garlands, plastic and other  decoration items before immersing the idols.Distribute food items like fruits to the poor. Avoid using too much firecrackers during the celebration as it creates air pollution and noise pollution at the same time.

Disposing
Make a compost of all the biodegradable items including flowers , etc.Flowers can be mixed with the soil which will help the plants in your garden .

In this manner all devotees of Lord Ganesha can continue celebrating the festival without affecting the environment.