Edible Ganesh idols are in vogue this year

Visakhapatnam: This Ganesh Chaturthi, environment-conscious entrepreneurs are devising new ways to worship the elephant-headed God without causing any harm to the eco-system.

One such way of celebration is bringing home an edible Ganesh idol to worship. To help saving the water bodies from getting polluted, Chocolate Craft Club comes up with a chocolate Ganesh.

Interestingly, it has also developed a video to circulate through social media platforms, including WhatsApp, on the immersion procedure through warm milk or water. "The idol thus immersed can be mixed with some dry fruits before distributing to friends and family members as 'prasad'. This way, the pollution problem which increases during immersion can be tackled to a large extent," reasons N B Devi, proprietor of the club.

Orders started pouring in for chocolate Ganesh through WhatsApp. "As of now, we have received about 40 orders for our standard idol of 28-cm length and 22 cm width. Based on customers' requirement, idols can be customised using white chocolate," adds Devi, who launched edible Ganesh this year.

In addition to these idols, millet-infused 'modaks', 'laddus' and 'kudumulu' form a part of the Club's menu that has a facility of door delivery. Laying emphasis on marching towards cleaner and healthier tomorrow, the club members firmly believe in the fact that such eco-friendly celebrations would set an example for the next generation to follow suit.

While the concept of edible Ganesh is popular in Mumbai and Pune, the trend is gradually catching up in Visakhapatnam as well. Disturbed by the sights of plaster of Paris idols washing ashore on the beaches at various points during immersion, Mehek Idnani, who runs Baked Moments, a two-year-old home-bake studio, gets busy to paint her modelling chocolate Ganesh with an edible colour syrup.

Currently, she is readying eight Ganesh idols for her clients both in Belgium and white chocolate flavours. "It comes in two sizes – half-ft and one-ft long but has a three-month-long shelf life. By placing cinnamon sticks and cloves around the idol, it can be saved from ants and rats," she shares.

After picking up the nuances of making chocolate idol from a Mumbai-based trainer Rintu, Mehek began her eco-friendly venture this year. Wielding an X-Acto knife, she gives finishing touches to a white-chocolate Ganesh idol before dipping her brush in a palette of edible colour to give a bright look.

"It is a time-consuming process. But I am delighted to do my part to environment and lessen the damage. The immersed milk can be shared with less-privileged children," suggests Mehek.