Environment & Ganesh Chaturthi

The Objective of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi festival is to express our gratefulness unto Lord Ganesh. Rather, many people celebrate this holy occasion just to follow family tradition or as a social event. On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, devotees set up the idol of Lord Ganesh in their homes or collectively in huge mandaps for 10 days and after that immerse (visarjan) the idol it in the river, a lake or sea. The immersion of wrongly made Lord Ganesh idol not only infects the corporeal environment, but also the spiritual situation.

Few decades back, Lord Ganesha Idols were made of clay which dissolves easily into water. However, with the initiation of materials such as plaster of Paris (PoP), cement, paper and plastic etc, idols does not dissolve into water. Toxic paints used to color and decorate idol, are also polluting the water extensively. These harmful materials promote pollution of the environment. Therefore, ‘Eco-friendly’ idols of Lord Ganesh are recommended which cause negotiable harm to environment.

• Plaster of Paris made idols does not dissolve easily into water and decrease the level of oxygen in the water. Due to this fishes are dying and other aquatic organisms are also get affected.
• Toxic paints used to beautify the idol have intense metals such as lead, mercury, and chromium. These chemicals affects drinking water sourced from rivers where the idols are immersed.
• Several idols are made using ‘paper’. The use of paper is destructive for environment because it sucks the Oxygen from the water and produces Methane gases.
• Ganesha Idols made using cement, plastic, etc. do not liquefy in the water; therefore poisoning the water.

In the duration of the Shree Ganesh Chaturthi fiesta, several misconducts have taken place and they impact the environment harmfully. For instance, playing pop or rock music on the loud mike system can be cause to audible range problems, accidents, lack of attention and focus, etc.

As per Hindu religion, every feature of our daily life has pious significance. All the festivals are distinguished for the objective of remembering God; catch the attention of the sattvikta, rising attachment and dedication unto God, etc. We can obtain the religious and spiritual benefits only if Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated according to the nature and its science.