At the start of the month, Goans witnessed one of Goa’s biggest festivals — Ganesh Chaturthi. But, as soon as the festivities began winding up, there were news reports about the rise in the number of Ganesh idols, made from Plaster of Paris (PoP).
This was evident at the immersion sites as PoP idols do not get submerged, and start floating. It is a sad sight to see the plight of such idols, which we venerate.
Ganesh Chaturthi: The unique tradition of MatoliThese PoP idols are banned in Goa, yet they are preferred by many devotees as they are light-weight, have a quick setting time (and so more pieces can be made in a shorter time frame) and have a better finish than traditional clay ones.
However, these idols go against the philosophy of the Chaturthi festival, which requires that the idol should be made from chikat mati, i.e., the mud found near river bodies. Thus, when the idol is immersed, it goes back to its source, and hence, completes the cycle.
In order to tackle this pressing issue of PoP idols, a 16-year-old lad from Ponda, Kaushalram Joshi, has taken up the initiative of removing these idols from water bodies because PoP is very damaging to our water bodies.
Studies have indicated that PoP contains gypsum, sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium that float, disintegrate slowly, and in the process, poison the waters of lakes, ponds, rivers and seas.
In this Goan home, you'll find not one, but 4k Ganesha idols!Kaushalram has started a campaign called ‘Punarutthan’ in Ponda, and has, so far, identified 20 idols which have ended up floating, and are suspected to be made of PoP.
“We have clicked some pictures of a few water bodies in Ponda, where these idols have been spotted. We asked one of the idol-makers about the dissolving of idols in the water bodies, and he said that pop idols remains in the water for ten to twelve days, while clay idols settle down within two to four hours,” says Kaushalram.
Kaushalram has started a campaign called ‘Punarutthan’ in Ponda, and has, so far, identified 20 idols which have ended up floating, and are suspected to be made of PoP.
He has written to the Goa State Pollution Control Board, Goa State Wetland Authority and also the Ponda Municipality, asking for help in his initiative.
“The municipality provided labourers to remove the idols. Unfortunately, the labourers did not know how to swim, and so, the idols have not been removed, and continue to be in the water. I need volunteers who can do this job,” he mentions.
Last year, too, he had a similar campaign, and managed to remove 13 idols with the permission of devotees, after the immersion ceremonies were over.
“Of these 13 idols, four were made of PoP, while the rest were of chikat and shaadu mati or soil. We had planned to reuse this soil to make idols. However, since it was mixed clay, it could not be done,” he explains.
Last year, they also collected nirmalya (flowers offered to deity) and converted it into compost.
This Goan artist studs Ganesha idols with sparkling stonesHe also alleges that, “Makers of PoP idols very cleverly use a coconut mesh and some clay to add weight to the idols. Thus, it becomes difficult for the layman to know the actual material of the idol. These idols are hollow in the middle, and so, when immersed in water, the water enters the hollow part, causing them to sink.”
Apart from that, the colours used to make clay idols are chemical-based and thus harmful to water bodies and aquatic life.
Last year, too, he had a similar campaign, and managed to remove 13 idols with the permission of devotees, after the immersion ceremonies were over.
He is now creating awareness about the same through social media, where the idol maker, Sopan Naik, explains the ill effects of PoP idols, which do not dissolve in water for days together.
Kaushalram, who is doing his internship at the Dhamapur (Maharashtra)-based University of Life, suggests that there should be thorough checks at borders to curb the entry of PoP idols. He also suggests that the Goa State Pollution Control Board should also check all the shops and outlets where idols are sold.
From humble earth to divine form: The making of Ganesha idols in GoaHe opines that there is a need for an artificial tank where immersion can take place, and this would help stop the pollution of our streams and rivers.
It is also necessary for devotees to be more mindful while purchasing idols. They should check if these are made of clay, and avoid those using chemical-based colours. He suggests using organic, or natural colours, for clay idols as this was the tradition followed for years.
If we follow these practices of having a clay idol and using natural colours, composting the nirmalya, we will able to have a festival in its true sense.
