Mumbai: This eco-friendly Ganesh pandal was made in 24 hours flat!

Sumit Patil with a Ganesh idol fitted with sensors that emanates light. PIC/BIPINâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088KOKATE

The Panchaganga Sarvajanik Utsav mandal's pandal at NM Joshi Marg in Lower Parel is special for many reasons, including the fact that it was decorated in 24 hours flat.

Last week, 40 volunteers - 12 of them visually impaired - worked under the supervision of art director Sumit Patil to achieve the feat. And it wasn't to set a record, says Patil, who has worked on Marathi films like Por Bazar, Yogi, and Bioscope. It was an effort to save energy. "My profession makes me realise how much energy is wasted when we work with halogen lights day in and day out." The 24-hour deadline ensured power was saved, and involving a group of disabled creative minds meant he was able to offer an opportunity to create something they can call their own.

Work began on August 11 at 9 am and wrapped up by 9 pm the following day.

The pandal, cocooned in white is entirely crafted from the eco-friendly and recycled material. They have used discarded CDs, solar panels, waste paper and copper vessels, says Yogita Tambe, a visually impaired musician who works as a teacher at Asmita Vidyalaya in Jogeshwari East. The 31-year-old is behind the floral origami creations and windmills made from recycled paper that dot the pandal. "We thought this was a good opportunity to bust the myth that the visually challenged require more time to complete a task. This was our chance to push the limit," she says.

Patil was inspired to look at energy conservation during his visits to villages on the outskirts of Virar. "We take electricity for granted. There, they don't enjoy that privilege," he says. To highlight the issue, all eight ganpati idols that dot the length of the pandal carry the conservation stamp. One of them has been created entirely from discarded solar panels. Another emanates light generated by an experiment reminiscent of school lab adventures. Explaining the technique, Patil says, "A nail and a coin are inserted into a potato. One end of a copper wire is attached to the zinc nail, the other end to the negative terminal of a light bulb. The end of a second wire is attached to the copper coin, and the other to the positive terminal of the bulb. Electrons pass from zinc nail to copper coin, making the bulb light up."

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