Celebrate an Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

And the season of festivities have started with the welcoming of the Lord Ganesha. We had a wonderful time last night as the society I stay in, welcomed the Ganesha and the kids totally enjoyed dancing to the dhols and the energy levels were simply infectious. However, when I had stepped out to attend a few chores in the morning I could not help but notice the litter that was being created outside the pandals. Its time that we chose options that allowed us to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi.

And that is what prompted me to make this quick post on choosing cleaner methods to usher in the festive season. I have listed a few tips that will help you celebrate an Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi not just this year, but for many years to come!

6 ways to Celebrate an Eco-Friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

Opt for a clay Ganesha

Plaster of Paris (POP) is one of the most common elements used to create the Ganesha idols. Since this is not a natural material, it can take several months and sometimes even years to dissolve completely.  Use clay to mould your own Ganesha. You can also make your own eco friendly decorations for the idol as well. This is a Shadu Ganesha that we had made two years ago. All we did was immerse it in a bucket and let it dissolve. The best part? We used the same water for the plants as well. You are also not littering the water bodies by literally dumping the idols and other decoration items and polluting them.

Use Diyas or tea candles

Opt for the handmade diyas that you will get at any local nursery or colourful tea candles that will give a natural illumination to your home. I have these tea light holder sets that I use every festive season and opt for candles that i feel make a wonderful lighting option. You know I quite love these paper lanterns as well, but honestly I have never gotten around buying it. Maybe this year, I will.

Use LED lights 

LED are energy savers and if you feel that you must use electric illumination, then try to opt for LED lights. LED lights are known to use up to  80 per cent lesser energy in comparison to the normal electrical lighting. The LED light also come in a variety of colours as the regular counterpart.

Make your own decorations

Festivities are incomplete without a rangoli. Instead of using the ready made colours that are available in the market, try using flowers to decorate the rangoli instead. Flowers are easier to decompose and they do not contribute to a landfill. And if you have a compost bin at your home or where you stay, just add it to the compost bin. It wont go waste! If you are using candles and diyas, just group them together. You can also use vases holding fresh flowers or twigs to create an artistic focal point.  Place them in a tray filled with sweets or fruits.

Make your own sweets

Make your own sweets. Look up this easy recipe to make modaks. Modak is the preferred sweet during this festive season and you could make a variety of other sweets as well. Or if you can, source the sweets from someone who makes them at home.

Use natural fragrances

I love fragrance at home. And nothing comes close to using diffusers and decorative candles at home that adds to the festive decor. I love my collection of dhoops, particularly the ones I have picked from Omved and essential oils. There is something healing about these fragrances that I really love and it gives a very natural fragrance to your house.

These were a few things that I could think of to make an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi. Let’s make a pledge this Ganesh Chaturthi to usher in the Elephant God and the remover of obstacles in an eco-friendly manner so that we make the earth a greener place!