This Ganesh Chaturthi celebrate this beautiful festival in an eco-friendly way.

Vignaharta (destroyer of obstacles), Ganesha’s festival is around the corner and it has great significance in Indian culture on religious as well as social level.

Here are some tips to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in a sustainable way –

Avoid huge size Ganesh idols: Avoid life-size  or huge idols as they take more space and more time to dissolve post-visarjan. It also leads to traffic congestion and they are difficult to transport. Use the best possible size of idols, so that it does not consume a large amount of clay and that will add more waste to the surroundings.

Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idol: Say NO to idols made of chemicals, plaster of paris, plastic and thermocol. Go for natural, biodegradable material so that after Visarjan it does not pollute the ponds/lakes/ rivers/ocean or the surroundings. Instead, make an artificial immersion tank to immerse the idol and request the people to do the same.

Avoid plastic: Serve Prasad in plates made up of banana leaves or disposable Areca leaf plates. Carry cloth bags or utensils from home for collecting Prasad.

Decorations : Use only natural colours to make rangoli like- turmeric, henna, gulal, sandalwood powder, rice powder, flowers and leaves. Say no to decorations made of non-degradable or toxic material. Instead, use reusable materials like cloth, wood and paper which can be reused in several ways.

Keep away from noise pollution: Say no to loud music, turn off the music after 10 PM and try to cooperate with the rules made by authorities in this respect. Avoid bursting firecrackers which not only affects the community but also adds to the pollution.

Save Energy: Instead of using traditional bulbs like incandescent bulbs use LED lights which consume less electricity. Avoid using Chinese bulbs which are harmful for our environment.

Public (Community) Celebrations: Celebrate in community, instead of individual celebration, which help in conserving the environmental resources but also saves your money.