Mangaluru man makes Ganesha idols that grow into plants

In a bid to celebrate eco-friendly Ganesha Chaturthi and inspire others to follow the suit, Mangaluru-based Nithin Vaja has made Lord Ganesha idol from paper pulp and seeds while avoiding toxic materials and paints.

Embedded with seeds from vegetable, fruits and trees, the idols unlike the traditional ones are easily dissolvable in water. "It is made by crushing old newspapers and books into pulp which is used in making it. We have not used toxic paints or any other toxic materials. This idol is embedded with vegetable seeds and fruit seeds. It will grow into a plant after it dissolves in water," said Nithin Vaja.

"We have made 30-40 Ganesha idol this year. The demand is not so high in Mangaluru this year but we expect it to increase in coming years," he said.

Apart from eco-friendly Lord Ganesha idols, paper pencils and paper pens with seeds embedded in it have also been made.

"We have made paper pencils and paper pens with seeds embedded in it. The seeds will grow into plants after it is used," said Reena.

Ganesha Chaturthi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha. People install clay idol of Ganesha at their homes and in pandals.