Demand for clay Ganesh idols goes up

Environmental consciousness among the public has increased

Warangal: With environmental consciousness increasing among the public, the demand for clay Ganesh idols is on the raise in the district as larger section of devotees preferring clay idols to install during the Ganesh festival.

Different non-government organisations and government officials are promoting use of clay Ganesh idols in view of the hazards caused by the idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and using chemical colours. At schools, the students are being explained the importance of clay idols for environmental protection.

As a result, those engaged in the making of Ganesh idols using PoP and chemical colours have also been shifting to making of idols using clay and natural colours to meet the growing demand for the clay idols.

‘There is a huge demand for clay Ganesh idols this year as larger numbers of devotees and Ganesh Mandalis asking for clay idols. So, we have chosen to make only clay idols,’ said an idol maker Darshan Singh Jani.

Special care is being taken to make the clay idols attractive and appealing to the devotees. The idols starting from two feet to 15 feet height are made to suit the needs of individuals and mandalis, which usually install large sized idols, he said.

G Shiva Kumar of GSK Arts and Crafts engaged in making clay idols for the past few years told The Hans India that this time there is a good response from the public towards clay idols. ‘Devotees from across erstwhile Warangal district and neighbouring Khammam are coming to us to buy the idols,’ he said.

He stated that besides making clay idols they are also explaining the devotees about the significance of using clay idols in the protection of environment. Only natural colours and coloured cloth were used in making the idols.

Warangal (West) MLA D Vinay Bhasker has also taken up a campaign to encourage the devotees to use clay idols. ‘The State government has been spending crores of rupees on restoring the tanks through Mission Kakatiya. Immersing idols made of PoP and chemical colours will damage them’.

Warangal Commissioner of Police G Sudheer Babu, Mahabubabad Superintendent of Police N Koti Reddy, Jangaon District Collector A Devasena are also doing their part in promoting clay idols.

At Mahabubabad, Telangana National Green Corps (NGC) has been conducting workshops on ‘Learn-and-make-clay Ganesha’ with an objective to sensitize the students on the use of clay idols.

“School children are amenable to learn new things. We wish to make them aware of environmental challenges and grow up as responsible adults,” District Educational Officer V Nageshwar Rao said.

“We taught them how to make clay idols and left the rest to their imagination and they come up with amazing varieties of Ganesh idols. PoP idols leave an irrevocable damage to environment and pose serious health hazards such as cancer,” the NGC coordinator V Gurunadha Rao and Project Officer B Vidya Sagar said.

“Youth has to carry forward our rich heritage and culture but have to do it in an eco-friendly manner,” felt Santhosh Manduva of Sulakshya Seva Samithi engaged in distributing clay Ganesh idols free of cost to the colony residents for the past four years in Hanamkonda.