Ganesha Chaturthi is just round the corner and instead of scouring the city or the internet for eco-friendly clay Ganeshas (there’s no way you could possibly be thinking of using any other type), read through these details to find out where you can pick up one or better still – make one – with hardly any effort.
Youth in the city seem to have taken a more proactive stance this year with regard to the Ganesha Chaturthi festival and its environmental impact. Two such groups – To Make A Difference (TMAD) and Youth for Seva – are volunteering their time to minimise environmental damage during the festival by promoting eco-friendly practices. They emphasise the use of unpainted clay idols and nature-based dyes for painting the idols; proper disposal of idols and other material used during the festival.
This year in Bangalore, Youth for Seva has partnered with Clay Station to help people make their own Ganesha idol using natural clay and simple modeling tools. Till the end of this month they have sessions that you can attend with family members of all ages. For details of the sessions and to locate stores that sell the Clay Station modelling Red earth clay see this link. To register for the sessions click here. Contact no: 9535000629 / +91 80 6546 2094
TMAD- Bangalore is focussing its efforts this year to keep stalls in residential layouts or or supply idols to apartment complexes, based on the required number of idols. Their request is for all readers to speak to your apartment/layout committee about this initiative and thus spread the message. To keep a stall at your premises, you could contact the TMAD volunteers: Anilkumar BVN (09880994182)/Kamalnath 09886642073/Pullarao(09886734321). Their idols this year are of 2 sizes (1 foot and 2 feet) and for bulk orders, the last date is 30Aug 2011.
And if you happen to be attending Oota from your Thota on Aug 28th (Sunday), you could buy a clay idol from the TMAD stall at the event.
For a fairly comprehensive list of other places in the city where you can get clay Ganeshas, see this link shared by an initiative of Youth for Seva – the Ganapati Parisara project. The contacts include:
Padmanabhanagar
Vani: 9886247299
She will be selling on sunday – 28th Aug at the venue: Next to SBI Padmanabhnagar Branch, Near Carmel school, near the 12B bus stop
Madiwala and Koramangala
Muniraj/Nirmala – Ph:25631498 – 4th block, 2nd cross Koramangala opp Krishna Sagar hotel, near Cauvery Nursing Home.
Yediyur, Jayanagar 7th block
Laksmipathy 9844372290 – will be selling from monday 29th Aug near Yediyur circle
Keshavmurthy 9844773185 – available from from monday 29 Aug near MTR on KR road
For those living near Cantonment, there is always the option of buying clay from Pottery Town and modelling your own idol!
So there really is no way out – you need to choose one of these options for clay Ganeshas to celebrate the festival this year. And then, if you could ensure that you immerse the idol with only biodegradable decorations (if at all) and preferably do it in a bucket of water and pour the water for your plants/garden, you will have a truly enjoyable celebration; and can then tuck into your well-earned modakas.
Happy Ganesha Chaturthi ⊕