Eco-friendly 18-foot paper Lord Ganesha idol preparations commence in Mumbai ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi

File photo for representation

As Maharashtra gets ready to celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, artisans in Mumbai are crafting an eco-friendly paper idol of Lord Ganesha.

This impressive 18-foot-tall idol of Lord Ganesh, made entirely from eco-friendly paper, is a significant departure from traditional Plaster of Paris (POP) idols. Sanket, President of the Elphinstone Ganesha festival organizing committee, explained the initiative: "For the past 34 years, we have been celebrating the Lord Ganesha festival, and for the last two years, we have been creating these 18 to 19-foot eco-friendly paper idols, following the lead of the Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh Chaturthi festival organizers. We've used 200 to 250 kilograms of paper to create these idols, and it takes three months to prepare them."

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He further revealed that discussions on banning POP idols have been ongoing for the past three to four years. Due to height restrictions on POP idols, the organizing committee decided to explore alternative methods to create 18-foot idols. After extensive research, they found that eco-friendly paper idols could be crafted without compromising on height. These paper idols also dissolve within four hours when immersed in water.

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Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrated in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Also known as Vinayak Chaturthi or Ganeshotsav, the festival involves the installation of clay idols of Lord Ganesha in homes and elaborate pandals (temporary stages).

The ten-day festival culminates with a public procession featuring music and group chanting, followed by the immersion of the idol in a nearby body of water, such as a river or sea, on Anant Chaturdashi.

Ganesh Chaturthi honors Lord Ganesha as the God of New Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles, as well as the deity of wisdom and intelligence. This year, Ganesh Chaturthi will commence on September 19 and continue for ten days until September 29. (ANI)