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Compilation of responses received by Karmayog to Dr. Sangole’s appeal: “Ideas needed for eco-friendly alternatives to Ganpati immersion” Sept. 2007 14th September 2007 Dear Mr. Vinay Somani, We have been carrying out SARVAJANIK ECO-FRIENDLY GANESH VISARJAN since three years by creating artificial wells, at Nana-Nani Park in Pestom Sagar road no06, Chembur. This has the following benefits 1] Saves the water bodies like lakes and ponds in Mumbai. 2] The eco-system in ponds/lakes is undisturbed 3] Reduction in traffic jams 4] Prevention of Noise, Water & Air pollution 5] Security of senior citizens and children is assured. We Need suggestions from different people on the following issue: Routinely all the clay idols get dissolved completely in the well, but the Plaster of Paris idols do not dissolve completely. So with great care and proper rituals we collect these undissolved idols and immerse them into DEEP Sea after the festival is over. It is my request to you to take up this issue on Karmayog so that we get proper feedback and suggestions from different people whether there is any other ECO-FRIENDLY alternative to immersion in the deep sea without hurting the sentiments of people. It is very important to protect our oceans too!!! Regards Dr.Vijay Sangole MBBS Jt. Secretary PSCF LACG. 1. From: "Kannan Moudgalya" <kannan@...> 2. From: Shanti Jagannathan Thanks. I believe it is also time to begin to lobby and to start whole scale public awareness to PUT AN END to the kind of large sized Ganeshas that are made in toxic and non-dissolvable material and chucked into the waters in many cities of India - including Hyderabad, etc.. This type of behaviour has nothing to do with reverence for the God, or reverence for human life. No spiritual teaching endorses this kind of behaviour. I hope you can get on to that and build a constituency of concerned people and campaign for it. best wishes Shanti Jagannathan 3.
4. ROTARY CLUB OF THANE EAST HELPS TO SAVE ENVIRONMENT As an alert NGO, Rotary has always done exemplary service to the community and society. In continuation with their work towards protecting our environment and reducing the pollution they have planned a mega project which will be carried out at the Visarjan Ghat in Thane East and at Masunda Talao in Thane West, with the support of Thane Police and Thane Municipal Corporation during the Ganeshotsav this year, on 16th, 20th & 25th September. The project will be to discourage the use of Plastic Bags for disposing “Nirmalya” (flowers/garlands removed from the idols just before immersion) and provide the Ganesh Bhaktas with Paper Bags/ Paper Envelops for the same. Rotary Club of Thane East, are all set to give away 10000 paper bags. Also to make them sensitive towards the noise pollution near the Visarjan area, facilitating the security personnel (Police) to upkeep the law and order situation. The Commissioner of Police D. Shivanandan, Mayor of Thane Smita Indulkar, The Commissioner of TMC Nandakumar Jantre, and District Governor of Rotary District 3140 Dr. Ulhas Kolhatkar are expected to attend the project and participate in distributing paper bags to the citizens at the immersion spots motivating them to use paper bags instead of polythene bags. K i s h i n P r e s i d e n t Rotary club of Thane east,, cell 9322402730 5. From: Usha Srinivasan Dear Dr. Sangole We from Development Alternatives under our CLEAN-India (Community led environment action network) have launched campaigns for celebrations of festivals in an eco freindly way without hurting religeous sentiments. Holi, Diwali, Dussehra and Ganesh Chathurthi to name a few. For Ganesh Chathurthi, we advise the use of unbaked clay idols coloured with natural colours. Plaster of Paris is very harmful to land and water when immersed in water bodies. Potters are ready to make the unbaked clay idols if people are ready to buy. In Delhi, we have been doing this for the last 5 years through schools and communities. Before launching the campaigns we discussed the issue with religeous leaders. Please refer to our web site : www.cleanindia.in for details. Regards Usha Srinivasan Senior Advisor (Environment) Development Alternatives 6. From: AccountAid Team Thanks for your message. You are probably aware that there are prescribed methods for making divine images, including the material which can be used to make these. This is mostly grass, clay, wood, stone etc. Composite materials like resin, plaster of paris, cement, lime, etc. have not been prescribed. This applies to large as also millions of small images, which are used across India. It would be very good if this information was systematically highlighted among the devoted as they would naturally attach the highest regard to a prescription from the shastra. Best wishes AccountAid Team 7. Dear Dr Sangole, 8. Dear Dr. Sangole, A very happy ganeshotsav to you. I must congratulate you for the commendable job you are doing regarding SARVAJANIK ECO-FRIENDLY GANESH VISARJAN. I am happy that there are people like you who are concerned about the environment and are doing their best to conserve it. Since you have asked suggestions, I would like to contribute my ideas to the same. I feel that there is a need to look at the way we celebrate Ganeshutsav in a different light altogether. If it is possible then people must stop immersing idols altogether. While the huge pandals may not find this idea feasible, the home ganeshotsavs can implement it. Instead of buying idols every year and immersing them, every household can buy a metal idol which will last for years and instead of immersing it and waiting it to dissolve (one day, one month or one year) one can just immerse it in water and take it back home and use the same the next year. I feel that just because some rituals are being followed since time immemorial they need not be followed just for the sake of following. Nowadays, situations have changed, the environmental conditions have changed, and the traffic condtions too have changed. This idea of mine is not to offend anybody's religious sentiments. It is just a thought and I would love to receive comments on the same. Thanks and regards Pritpal Kaur Mumbai. 9. From: Director, Akshaya Motivate saints to announce that Ganesha doesn't like this drowning and kindly stop this in future and worship the dieties as far as possible in the public place itself. 10. From: malik sajad Dear Vijay Sangole, My opinion is that we should also create a cartoon character (comic or animation) as an idol in festivals and its journey through water, an environment where it will rest. By it we can show whether these idols are happy with us or not, what they see there. Hence conveying the message... Many thanks Malik Sajad 11. From: G.C. Mathur The first and foremost advice is that we should use not paints, but natural colours for Ganesh moorti. The moorti should be made of pure earth which could be fired as well for making it stronger. Visarjan of such Moortis will never be against eco system. There will be no need for artificial wells also. 12. From: RonDevKohli Ur idea of artificial well is excellent. Should continue to encourage CLAY models Indue course same clay could be recycled. Slowly convert strong harsh music to soft 'sankirtan type Chanting'. the vibrations created by that would be beneficial to participants.Please see the procession last year organised by "Sanatan Sanstha' They will I believe organise it again I Best Wishes RDKohli 13. From: Rajal Thaker WHEN YOU DISPOSE THE PLASTER OF PARIS IDOLS IN DEEP SEA, THE ECOLOGY OF SEA IS AFFECTED TOO.. Dr Rajal Thaker --- From: pavan iyengar For one , you cannot dissolve it in deep sea as it is un ecofriendly! 14. From: Jyoti Chede It is nice that you are taking up this important issue .i have been keeping Ganapati for a couple of years.on 10th day instead of going to lake or ocean i immerse my Ganapati idol in a big tub at my home. and let the idol be completly disove in the water .it takes 2 or 3 dayes .then i put this water to plants.the idea is soil become one with soil. this may not a big thing but small effort to support all these causes. - Jyoti 15. From: binod saharia USE ONLY BIO DEGRADABLE MATERIALS, ORGANIC COTTON AND ORGANIC PAINTS, AND ORGANIC DYES, 16. Actually, in Goa, they're trying to move away from plaster-of-paris statues back to clay. --FN
17. From: "Franz Nahrada" <f.nahrada@...> 18. From: Shashi Singh Everyone please use and make products which preserve the natural environment. Material & products to be used for a short time and desposed have to be made bio-degradable. there is no compromise on this issue. Even nature wants to balance and maintain it's equilibrium and for this we need to stop abusing natural resources and preserve the environment.This would be the best way to pay tributes to nature and the Lord almighty.
Consortium Of Women Entrepreneurs Of India 19. From: ramanand kowta Hi and Namaste, I read Dr. Sangole's description of his ' timely initiative ' and a fervent plea for an alternative to the PoP ' problem '.The following article will clarify that ' Naturally Cyclical processes are the basis of Life and Existence ' - Linearisation of which ( out of ecological and social and religious context ) is the cause of the very VIGHNAS - to destroy which we worship the VIGHNA - HARTA ! Re - Cycling is the very basis of Nature and of the traditional lifestyle of the Indian \ Bhaaratwaasi. Can the PoP idols be converted ( Re-Cycled by pulverising etc...) into something innovative and useful to society - providing some income to a few poor people - till we are able to , hopefully, do away with PoP ?
Our ancient sages formulated rituals, customs, festivals on very sound Can I have contact details( ph. no. and E Mail ID please ) of the ' good Dr. Sangole ' ? Please feel free to give me a call. 20. From: Sadhana Kale Respected Dr. Vijay Sangole, received your mail regarding VISARGAN of Ganesh idol and the interest you have been taking to reduce the pollution, I would like to give my suggestion as under. 1. As far as possible make people alert how it is advisable to purchase clay idols, also write to govt. bodies to make rules while allowing artistes to make clay idols. 2. To avoid pollution, make only one idol in one area. however there should be an alternative for the artistes for their earnings. Hope my suggetions you would upto your satisfaction. sadhana kale 21. A few ideas for eco-friendly Ganeshostav 22.
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24. Dear Sir, 25. From: Ramesh Parikh Today I got an email from USA with pictures criticising Hindu practices and showing left over Ganpati idols which floated back on sea shores being moved by a bull dozer. Some of the idols are big and intact. This stains our country's as well as religious feelings apart from creating eco problems. The best way is for the Govt. to erect strong-perhaps permanent- jettys on sea shores where the idols are immersed and then to load all the idols with a limited nos. of devotees on flat barges and immerse them in deep sea waters. Such a project will also save lives of persons who get drowned while immersing idols. The cost of doing this is negligible. Ramesh Parikh 26. From: Sushil Jain Most eco-friendly way is through education - wisdom education - creating awareness on truth, rules of life. This can be done very effectively by arranging sessions for LACGs, other associations.... Sushil 27. From: François-Xavier Hay Cc: Manisha Gutman Dear Dr Vijay, 100% aligned on this requirements! it is strongly required to sensitize people on such an issue. And Ganesh Festival is just one of the festivals having a sad impact on mother nature. In Pune, a new ecofriendly company has just popped up and is particularly answering such issues in a very friendly - sustainable - scalable manner.
Happy EcoFriendly Ganesh Festival Best Regards FX Hay UpLift India Association (Pune) 28. From: K GP There should be a BAN ON PLASTER OF PARIS OR PLASTICS>> Only Clay idols must be allowed 29. From: "Krishan Mitroo" <kmitroo@...> 30. From: Gordon Kudos to you guys you have done so much by way of alternatives and truly very local and environmental friendly moves. I suggest we make a move towards clay idols and how about paper maiche idols ? Most important of all is education on the safer alternatives, through TV Radio and instructions in schools so the young minds too can build up a distaste for the plaster of paris ones. Regards J. D'Silva 31. From: Nandita Shah I think this is a good idea, but I think its better to put PoP idols into a land fill rather than kill deep sea marine life.
32. From: Prakash Karandikar Greetings for Ganesh Festival ! Anything which is in accordance with the scriptures proves to be ideal and beneficial. If the idol of Lord Ganesh is sculpted as per the science of spirituality, then it gives maximum benefit to those worshipping it. Unfortunately nowadays, idols are made of various forms and shapes based on one's liking and imagination without taking into account the science behind the idol. Special series of videos and articles on celebrating Ganesh Festival as per science and avoiding Mal Practices during the festival are available at http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/festivals/ganesh/ Please pass on the message to near and dear ones. Let's celebrate Ganesh Festival in ideal way and avoid the malpractices which hurts the Lord! Video Series (Video commentary is in Marathi):
Some Articles:
Also see: Sattvik Image of Lord Ganesh, Sattvik idol of Ganesh Jay Sree Ganesh -- 33. From: conservation india Dear Dr Sangole, I recd a mail from Karamyog and am very impressed by the work the organisation is doing,specially the Ganesh Visarjan under controlled conditions.This is a great example of public participation and community conservation.and can be replicated all over the country. I take the liberty of sharing some of my views and some work that I do on a public I work on some of the issues listed out by Karamyog and try to reach out with information and simple solutions thru my programme Earth Matters which is broadcast on National TV network of Door Darshan on every Sunday and repeated on DD News in the evening on Sunday. Water pollution and the lethal heavy metals in paints used on idols is one of the issues that we have repeatedly emphasized...what ever we put in our rivers and water systems end in our food chain.The heavy metals used in paints have reached our food chain affecting our health and those of our children.Even fish from the ocean have been found to be carrying lead and mercury ... Alternative ways of reverence and farewell to idols have to be looked at if we are to prevent poisoning ourselves . and your artificial wells are the best way and a viable solution. Plastic of Paris is difficult to neutralise and given the number of idols a possible solution that could be looked at is that once the paint has separated from the idols,the flaked off paint can be collected from the wells for processing and safe disposal.The plaster casts of the idols can then be salvaged for reuse . Keeping the sentiments and reverence of millions in mind a viable solution that can be looked at is the construction of a Ganesh Ji Temple in with the recovered plaster mixed with other bonding material. This could be in area where suitable land or park or community land is available.A nana nani Ganesh Park?? It could go a long way in minimising the amount of heavy metals and other poisonous substances that go in the production of modern paints from reaching our food chain. Tragic that we have moved to plastic paints, plaster of Paris and aluminium wiring instead of the traditional mud and clay , natural paints and bamboo which were harmless and used to disintegrate on contact with water. warmest regards mike pandey Earth Matters Foundation New Delhi 110048 34. From: "Gooloo Khambatta" <gooloo.khambatta@...> 35. From: AC Boyatkar |
