GANESH CHATHURTHI

ARE WE CELEBRATING, OR POLLUTING 

BY VYSHNAVI ON SEPTEMBER 2019

Ganesha cathathuthi is a famous festival all over India, it was even celebrated in some parts of western countries. This festival brings joy and happiness to the devotees because, we believe that Lord Ganesha has the power to save/prevent a person from all challenges and hard times and can bring good luck and happiness to us. We decorate Houses colorfully, all Family members, relatives and friends join altogether to offer prayers. This festival got such a prominence because of the way it is celebrated, unlike other Hindu festivals, this is especially known for its communal harmony. People from different religions and castes will actively participate in it. 

But, did u know that Lokamanya Bala Gangadhar Tilak made this festival so popular during early years of independence. The reason behind is to easily grow nationalist sentiments among people. During celebration devotes are ignoring environmental impact of pollution on Air, Water, Noise, solid Waste, etc caused by various activities performed in puja.

According to Indian mythology, Lord Ganesha was born from the dirt off from goddess parvathi's body. So in early days people used to make Ganesha Idols out of pure clay as a justification to this fact. Mud idols will easily get dissolved in lakes. They prevent drying up of lakes. Mud has the quality of purifying the water. But as years passed by, this culture has changed. Today we see huge Idols with rich colors and decorations. Also Plaster of Paris (POP)idols are replacing traditional mud idols. Artists preferred this material because it is very cheap, light and easy to handle. People prefer Idols rich in adhesives and decoration to the traditional ones as a status symbol.

River's like Ganga and other river bodies get polluted due to idol immersion because POP contains chemicals like Sulfur, Gypsum, Phosphorous and Magnesium. After immersion, POP dissolves gradually releasing all these harmful chemicals. As a result of these chemicals, the acidity level of water rises thereby making it toxic. This water is very harmful to fish and other aqua creatures. Also it causes diseases like lungs, liver, cancer, skin diseases, eyes allergies to people when they consume it.

The dyes used to color the idols contain harmful products like Mercury, Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead and Carbon. Plastic and thermocol materials, which are used to decorate the idols, are not biodegradable, this prevents sun light entering into water, which causes damage to aquatic plants and animals ,while So they seriously effect the environment.

Ganesha Idol should be seen with a sense of devotion and respect. But today we see Idols of all shapes and sizes. Portraits of Ganesha as a cowboy riding on the horse are seen. These acts only add disgrace to our culture. Huge Idols are not only cumbersome but also create traffic problem at the time of immersion

Loudspeaker sets are installed at the time of immersion, increase Noise pollution way beyond the permissible level of 55 bB (day) and 45 dB (night). Senior citizens and children are directly affected by these, in certain cases the noise level can even reach 110 dB.

During festivals, fireworks and crackers are used a lot, which leads to Air pollution, as harmful gases and toxic substances like Barium, Cadmium, Sodium, Mercury, Nitrate and Nitrite are released into atmosphere. And also particles like, respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) levels goes high in this season as they released into the environment by these firecrackers. The celebration lead to increase in the level of harmful gases in atmosphere like Sulphur dioxides (SO2), Carbon Monoxides (CO), etc.

 WE ARE KILLING OUR MOTHER NATURE DY DOING THIS TYPE OF CELEBRATION, DO YOU THINK WE ARE GETTING BLESSED ?

1.You can try a using metal Idols. After worship, simply immerse it in water and take back to your home. This is the best method as it is cost effective and eco friendly.

2.If you don’t like using a single Idol over and over, try to make your own idol their are lot of tutorial online. As mentioned in our mythology, Idols made of clay are more powerful and devotional. At least prefer those made of recycled paper and organic substances. 

3.Don’t throw a lot of limelight on accessories and decorative items. Avoid using thermocol or plastic.

4. Weird and animated Idols should not be purchased. They don’t give you any sense of devotion.

5.Please avoid speakers at the time of immersion. They cause a lot of disturbance to public.