Removing all the worship material like flowers, vastras (clothes), decorating material (made of paper and plastic) etc.Use of water soluble and non-toxic natural dyes to paint the idols.Encouraging the use of baked clay over Plaster of Paris.S ome of the Central Pollution Control Board guidelines include: Image: A Ganesh idol being taken for immersion Photographs: Satish Bodas This scene is unfolding in the small town of Pen, about 80 km from the island city of Mumbai, known for its Ganesha making industry, which itself has come under fire from environmentalists. And the snake would have been made to drink milk - a ritual that many ecologists cringe at and have been screaming hoarse against for generations. Had it been Nag Panchmi, the day when snakes are worshipped in India, Panse would have been a bigger hero. Wielding it with a stick, Panse puts up something of an impromptu show.Īmidst the awe of seeing a snake, someone says something about feeling blessed - having spotted a king cobra during the holy month of Shravan. Finally Raju Panse gives in and a king cobra emerges from out of the bag. Panse tries unsuccessfully to wheedle his way out.īy now a small crowd has gathered - everyone wanting to see the contents of the jute bag. They rib him, beg and plead before him and insist that the bag be opened.

He doesn't like to be stopped in the middle of the road, especially when he carries that sinister-looking jute bag with him.īut his neighbours will have none of it. The bike splutters to a halt in a square surrounded by a cluster of houses. Raju Panse is on his motorbike carrying a large jute bag that looks suspiciously empty. Abhishek Mande travels to Pen, where the Ganesha making industry finds itself entangled between faith, business viability and environmental concerns. The use of Plaster of Paris to make huge Ganesha idols has been a bone of contention amongst devotees, organisers and ecologists.

Ganesh festival paris