Indore Ganeshotsav 2026: As the beats of dhol-tasha drums and festive lights mark the arrival of Ganesh Chaturthi at the iconic Khajrana Ganesh Temple in Indore, a resident is carrying forward a unique tribute to his late father by sending thousands of eco-friendly Ganesha idols made from pure cow dung to homes across the country.
Nine years after the death of his father Kailash Chand Gupta, Indore resident Pranay Gupta has continued the annual initiative on a self-funded voluntary basis, combining environmental awareness with traditional practices.
For Gupta, the initiative is a tribute to his father’s devotion to Khajrana Ganesh. “Bappa, in the form of Khajrana Ganesh, was the guiding light of my father’s life. Sharing this blessing with devotees across the country has been the most natural, living way to honour his memory,” he said.
The idea emerged after Gupta witnessed idols being discarded after festival immersions, with broken idols found along riverbanks. “What moved me deeply was the painful sight of idols thrown away like garbage, disfigured and damaged,” he said.
Guided by traditional texts, the team began making idols using natural materials suitable for temporary household worship. Following scriptural guidelines, each idol measures exactly one vitasti, the span from the tip of the thumb to the little finger.
Standing between five and six inches, the water-soluble idols allow devotees to perform visarjan at home in garden pots, enabling the organic material to return safely to the earth.
The idols are produced at facilities in Indore, Dhar, Pachore and Jaipur. This year, the initiative has also taken up a rehabilitation effort by partnering with the Bhikshu Punarvas Kendra in Indore.
Former street dwellers are being trained in moulding, painting and packaging the idols, providing them with livelihood opportunities through the initiative.
