Youngsters use newspapers to make Ganesha idol, encourage 'eco-friendly worship'

In a bid to prevent pollution of rivers, a group of youngsters here have made an eco-friendly idol of Ganesha ahead of the much celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi festival on September 17.

The 10-day long festival, celebrated with huge fervour, concludes with the immersion of Ganesha idol in the river. Thousands of idols - made of clay and Plaster of Paris (PoP) - are immersed in water bodies every year, thereby polluting it.

But the 25-member Shri Krishna Yuva Yuvak Mandal group has vowed to make a difference this time. They have used 600 kilograms of newspapers to prepare a 10 feet long idol of Ganesha.

"In today's era, everyone wants to make idols of clay and now PoP (Plaster of Paris) has come into use and everywhere the people use different items to make idols of Lord Ganpati. But people here have made this idol keeping in mind the environment protection and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi's Clean India Mission," said Sanjay Chauhan, a local here.

"There can be no cleanliness in PoP. So, the children here have prepared this idol with the used newspapers," he added.

The local police have banned the immersion of PoP-made idols taller than five feet.

The members of the group thanked their neighbours for supporting 'eco-friendly worship'.

"Our whole group has prepared this idol with the support of our neighbours. Our neighbours have supported us and encouraged us to do something that could make our colony famous. This idol took 30 days for its preparation," said Hitesh Chauhan, a member of the group.