Avoid P.O.P. and Chemical Colors in Ganapati Idols
Ganesh Jayanti is an auspicious occasion marking the birth of Lord Ganesh, who sways obstacles in our lives, while also being the embodiment of wisdom, environment, and new beginnings. Traditionally, we created our idols using purely clay and painted them using natural colors from plants and other organic resources. But over time, some have created idols from Plaster of Paris (P.O.P.) and painted them using synthetic chemical colors. These idols may look appealing but they are bad for our environment and our health, as well as steal away from our spiritual practices and beliefs.
Let us examine why it is important for us to prevent using P.O.P. idols as well as toxic paints – and what we can do to make our celebrations more environmentally friendly.
🌊 1. P.O.P. Affects Our Rivers and Lakes
Plaster of Paris will not dissolve in water like clay does, and post immersion (visarjan)…. P.O.P. idols break up into pieces and float for long periods in water, leading to polluted lakes, rivers and seas.
• These idols eventually block natural flow and cause clogging in the drains
• P.O.P. increases the water’s acidity and hardness, which makes the water inert for aquatic life
• Many lakes stations are filled with broken ritual idol parts as well as dead fish or turtles post visarjan because of ingesting or absorbing the toxic water.
2. Toxic Colors = Hazardous Chemicals
Much of the P.O.P. idols are made from punk-painted colors with heavy toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, chromium, and cadmium.
• These don’t break-down and stay in the water and soil for extended periods of time.
• They poison the fish, plants, and animals that live in water.
• People that bathe, drink, or farm from water/in land contaminated by this are at risk of developing skin infections, allergies, breathing problems, or in the long term liver/kidney issues.
Even weeks after the festival, soil and crops near the visarjan sites can suffer from contamination.
3. Wrong Implications to the very Purpose of Lord Ganesha
The purpose of Lord Ganesha is as a connection to Mother Earth. He was created from the earth, and he returned to the earth when he became no longer useful. Therefore, to use harmful materials to the Earth is totally contradictory to the real meaning of Ganesh Jayanti.
The idea of immersion was to return Ganesha back to the earth in the form of life, death, and rebirth. When we pour pollutants, derived from the P.O.P. and chemical paint into the very nature we are supposed to honor.
4. What the Government Says
In order to protect the environment, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and state governments have given the following guidelines:
• Prohibited the use of P.O.P. idols and toxic synthetic paints.
• Permitted natural clay idols only and paint in a natural color, plant based colors are permitted, and eco-friendly products.
• Cities are providing artificial visarjan ponds to ensure our rivers or lakes do not get polluted.
✅ Eco-Friendly Alternatives You Can Use
Let’s celebrate responsibly and joyfully. Here are some safe and important alternatives:
- Clay Idols (Shadu Mati)
- Easily dissolved in water and non-polluting.
- Seed Ganapati Idols
- Composed of red soil and are filled with plant seeds (tulsi, marigold, etc.).
- Once the visarjan is done at home, they grow to become a plant – hence blessings from Ganesha last forever.
- Cow Dung or Paper-Mâché Idols
- 100% biodegradable and compostable.
- After visarjan, you use it as fertilizer.
- Reusable or Metal Idols
- Keep one idol permanently at home. visarjan in a bucket or a tank.
- Saves cost and reduces waste.
🎯 Final Thought
Ganesh Jayanti is not only about traditions, it is about celebrating the values of responsibility, respect for nature and knowledge. Let’s revive the tradition of using clay idols, natural decorations and zero waste.
By using eco-friendly idols, we are not only paying respect to Lord Ganesha, but also conserving our Planet for the future generations.
