Eco Friendship - Walk The Talk!

We teach in schools about environmental issues and stuff. We talk of environmental degradation. Before every festival, we talk about pollution being caused by various things we do and use.
Every Ganesh festival is preceded with how we are polluting the water through immersions,how the garlands cause utter waste, how the noise irritates the ear drums.

Is there a different way we can enlist happiness and peace?

So asked my heart!

Then began the Search for ways to make it meaningful for my children.

I had heard about Eco friendly Ganesha idols. Digging deeper, I found out we could grow plants in it too. So, I placed my orders to a sculptor who moulds them lovingly at home. She suggested to avoid glitter, shimmer and gloss so the mud could dissolve easily.
There we had our Ganesha idol, adorable and awesome! Sometimes things are that simple and that difficult. I had searched high and low at all the commercial places where idols are made. Not one place had simplicity that I yearned for. The general tone was "Bigger the better, Shinier the sweetest"
It was possible though to get the most arresting and loving idol possible.
It was imperative my kids learn to bypass the "Herd mentality" and looked at Ganesha idol differently. He could be simple and It was possible to connect divinely. The heavy rituals were sidelined by us. Getting a Priest was another exercise in futility. Well! The practical side asked "If he says 4:30 is the auspicious time, turns up at 6%30 and says it is ok!!??? Why not be your own priest???
Decided! We invoked Lord Ganesha's energies deep from our hearts and asked him to stay with us for a day and half, forgive our mistakes and Accept the Ladoos, Garlands and love we had for him.

Next was the Decoration. If we speak of being Environment concerned then using plastic flowers and Thermocol casings make no sense. As my children candidly put in "It takes nearly 3000 years for it to decompose!"

So, we decided to give a Green look. From the nearby nursery that sells organic plants we brought the lawn grass plates and plants to surround the idol. With a little home made paper and home toys a little "Ganesha Farm house" was ready.

Our children did get the purpose of being Eco friendly in totality. We brought Him without much fanfare and noise but lots of love and anticipation. Every Single one who visited was filled with awe at the concept and some even resolved to Replicate the same next year!

The immersion was too well thought out. The motto was to not waste a single scrap and give back what we took.

Since our clay Ganpati had fertilisers too, we decided to grow a Guava tree in it.
The immersion was therapeutic to say the least. We put the idol in the tub, and poured water gently to melt it. Each one of us took turns in letting it melt under our hands. The heavenly mud rubbing on our Fingers, absorbing the negativity and oozing out Relaxed energy.

We were in no hurry! No sharing Tempo rides with all Ganesha idols of compound stacked away.

No handing him over to hurried, uncaring hands.

We had loving family hands gently dissolving the Idol and ever so affectionately bonding. The children, too, silently partook of the loving ritual.

We had bought the Guava tree beforehand. Our mom planted it in the mud pot. Next day the remnants of the mud water went in all our other plants. The tree stood tall and proud.
The deco plants gifted to family and the lawn grass in our work place. The Garlands went into our compost bin to fertilise the soil.

Not one thing wasted. Not a bit of pollution of any sort!

Children learned what it meant to be environment friendly in literal terms and not just giving lip service to such concepts.

Just putting up status on Saving Environment will not serve the cause!

Just criticising others or Government will not change anything.

Each one of us taking a step in the direction and doing our bit to raise awareness in the Gen next will do the trick.

Each one at a time!

                  
                     -Sonnal Pardiwala