Divya Dutta
“I have been celebrating eco-friendly Ganeshotsav for a long time. We get such amazing varieties of eco-friendly deities and this time I was excited when I laid my eyes on a beautiful Gannu Bappa. Eco-friendly ka apna hi maza hai, you don’t have to go outside. You pray with your friends and immerse the idol at home in a bucket of water and then put that holy water in the plants. Let’s do our service to our nation by celebrating the festival in an eco-friendly manner. We are seeing so many signs of global warming and population explosion and the least we can do is take care of nature. I think it’s important to celebrate eco-friendly Ganeshotsav and keep the ocean, sea, and beaches clean as much as possible.”
Madhur Bhandarkar
“We have been getting Ganpati idol made out of clay for many years now. We do the visarjan at home and pour the water into our plants after the clay gets dissolved. We all know how important it is to take care of the environment. With pollution levels so high, we must ensure we don’t harm our surroundings during festivities.”
Himansh Kohli
“The fervour of Ganeshotsav is vibrant in the city. Since I started living in Mumbai, I have always celebrated it. I would visit a Ganpati pandal and friends who bring Bappa home. This time it is Covid free. I will also visit Siddhivinayak and Lalbaugcha Raja. I want peace and happiness for everyone from Bappa. Be good, do good. Bappa is Vighnaharta, so one must trust God.”
Dibyendu Bhattacharya
“We had gotten a Plaster of Paris Ganpati idol in our first year of celebrating Ganeshotsav because we weren’t aware of eco-friendly idols at that time. But in the following year, we read about eco-friendly idols and since then, we have been getting it every year for the past 17 years. For the decoration too, we only use paper, watercolours, and flowers. We even set up artificial immersion tanks every year so that we do not pollute the sea at the end of the festival. Every year, we have different themes for our Ganeshotsav and it reflects what’s happening around us. We have had Aadhar card-themed Ganpati, Chandrayaan theme, and even a sanitiser theme for Covid. This year, the theme we have decided on is the Solar System.
Ishita Dutta
“I have been celebrating eco-friendly Ganpati for a couple of years now. Last year was the first time I made Ganpati at home with clay and I’ve done the same thing this year. My friends and family members will come over and we are going to have some homemade modaks. I’ve been celebrating Ganpati for the last 10 years, ever since I shifted to Mumbai. When I came here, I realised the Ganeshotsav celebration is so big in the city. I feel that whoever can, should shift to eco-friendly idols instead of getting something that pollutes the environment. After visarjan, we see idols floating in the water and I find it disrespectful to God. At the same time, it’s polluting the environment and affecting the creatures in the sea. You get eco-friendly idols these days, it’s a request to opt for them.”
Preeti Jhangiani
Pic: Instagram/Preeti Jhangiani
“This year, my children will be making eco-friendly Ganesha at home from mud and clay. They will be painting and decorating it with eco-friendly materials. We will submerge the idol at home in a tub of water and later on, we’ll water the plants in our balcony with the holy water. The idol will be small in size and not a huge one because I believe it is the love in your heart that matters the most. That’s how we will celebrate with friends and family.”
Helly Shah
Pic: Instagram/Helly Shah
“This year, I am bringing home Lord Ganesha for the first time. I won’t say that I am getting him at my place, but instead, I believe he has chosen to come to my residence. But we should not disregard our environment in the festive jest. Getting an eco-friendly Ganpati idol is the first step that we can take towards ensuring that we do not harm mother nature. Because if we don’t take care of the environment, we’ll be the ones who will have to suffer going ahead.”
Shilpa Rao
“Ganeshotsav has been celebrated in our household even before I was born and my grandmother used to organise it grandly. We have been getting eco-friendly Ganpati idols for a long time as advised by my grandmother. Lord Ganesha’s idol at our home is made of clay and there is no paint on it. Since my childhood, we have been celebrating eco-friendly Ganeshotsav, as we used to pluck flowers from our garden and do the decoration. We distributes prasad on leaf plates to minimise waste and, to date, we do all that is possible to keep the tradition of eco-friendly Ganeshotsav alive.”
Raqesh Bapat
“Ganeshotsav is the closest to my heart and like every year, this year too, I’ll celebrate it with my family in Pune. Our family has been getting a shadu mati (clay) Ganpati for more than three generations now. I started the tradition of having my own hand-sculpted Ganpati for the last few years. I believe culture and environment must co-exist. While it brings society together, we must also ensure that we are not causing any damage to the environment in the process.”
Mitaali Nag
“Every year, Bappa comes to our house for five days. Ganeshotsav is celebrated in a bigger way than even Diwali in our home. I am happy to finally be able to celebrate the festival with no restrictions. In the last two years, we had scaled down the celebration with regards to the guest list and all. But this year, it will be like old times. Having said that, I will make sure that we use masks all the time except while clicking pictures and I would urge my guests to do the same. Bappa will be at our house for five days. The visarjan will be done amid much fanfare. Bappa, especially in the form of Shri Siddhivinayak, has been generous and kind to me. He has always granted my wishes and given me more than I have asked for. I am sure while he will be at our place he will enhance the good in my professional and personal life.”
