Bhopal: A two-day workshop of making eco-friendly Ganesha idols concluded at Sindhu Bhawan on Wednesday. The workshop was organised by MP Pollution Control Board to motivate people as well as artisans and sculptors to make eco-friendly Ganesha idols. As many as 100 participants participated in the workshop and learnt to make the idols by using newspaper, clay, papermache and cow dung with great enthusiasm under the guidance of expert Ashok Bhardwaj, Prerna Sharma and Suresh Rathore. A two-foot Ganesha made up of newspapers by Prerna Sharma was one of the major attractions of the workshop.
Sharma who has been making eco-friendly Gaenshas for 10 years said, “I taught to make eco-friendly Ganesha by using newspaper and clay. I also taught them how to mould and do colouring. I also informed methods of making five herbal colours. A large number of participants participated in the workshop and even some of the artisans came for other places of the state like Hoshangabad and Vidisha. Some of the participants took the idols to their homes.”
“We trained children as well as sculptors to make eco-friendly Ganeshas by using paper mache. Paper mache is mixture of paper and clay. We also informed how POP (Plaster of Paris) made idols were harmful for environment by giving demo. We also told especially artisans how clay-made idols benefited not only environment but also their business. It is business of cheap and best,” said Ashok Bhardwaj who has been working in the field for past many years.
Arvind Kumar, scientist in MP Pollution Control Board said, “We have been organising the workshop for the past five years to motivate people to go eco-friendly. We are getting huge response from people including women. After Bhopal, we are planning to organise a one-day workshop in Vidisha and Raisen. I think people have become more aware than earlier. At least 90 per cent artisans of Raisen, Vidisha and Harda have stopped making idols of POP.”
