Ganesh Chaturthi, a Hindu festival celebrated across India and beyond to mark the birthday of the elephant-headed Lord Ganesh, also known as Ganapathy, returns this month.
After 10 days of celebrations, worshippers bid farewell to Ganesh by immersing his idols or photos in a body of water. However, many people are unaware that this act can have a harmful effect on the environment.
Pramila remembers visiting Manly Beach in Sydney for visarjan (immersion of Ganesha idol in water) several years ago.
She was shocked to see many people immersing idols painted with glitter or made of Plaster of Paris – materials which can have a lasting negative impact.
She tells SBS Tamil that, as this special time rolls around again, people need to be reminded that glitter and chemicals like lead and mercury used in paint can be harmful to aquatic species.
“We have no right to pollute the water, thereby disrupting the marine life. That’s why back in 2015 I decided that I should be making idols using only 100 per cent eco-friendly materials. For almost seven years now, I have not made any compromise on this decision.”
Hand made eco-friendly Ganesh Idol Credit: Janani Karthik
Raising awareness
This year, Pramila is handcrafting 200 Ganesh idols to cater to her customers during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Her eco-friendly idols, which are made of only natural clay, have become popular among the Tamil-speaking community in Sydney.
Pramila explains that her business started from wanting to celebrate the Ganesh festival just as it is observed in her home of Tamil Nadu in southern India.
“I didn’t want to give up the tradition of buying clay idols for the festival after moving to Australia,” she says.
“So one year I made my own Ganesh idol using terracotta clay and invited friends to my home for the celebration. Friends who saw my clay Ganesh were impressed and requested me to make similar ones for their homes, too.
“Then after a couple of years, many people started asking for clay idols during Ganesh Chathurthi. That’s when in 2017, I started it as a small business.”
Pramila says she has had to politely turn down requests from customers who request decorative touches to their idol.
“While buying clay idols is the tradition in the southern part of India, flashy idols are popular in the northern part of India. So some customers prefer colourful statues, but I explain to them the significance of going green.”
Hand made eco-friendly Ganesh idols Credit: Janani Karthik
Eco-friendly future
Pramila’s clay idols are a labour of love.
“It takes 20 to 30 minutes to make a small four-inch clay idol and 45 minutes for a nine-inch one,” she explains.
“Sometimes I sit for hours to get the right finish as I am not an expert sculptor. There could be some flaws in the idols I make, but I believe that people see the eco-friendly value of it, not the minor flaws.”
Pramila says that she has been experimenting with extra ways to make her idols even more eco-friendly.
“Initially, I started making idols with brown terracotta clay, then I tried adding potting mix to make the idol lightweight. This year, I have created an eco-friendly red colour using almond oil and saffron to place the traditional dots on the forehead of the Ganesh idol,” she says.
In the future, she plans to add plant seeds to the clay mixture.
“Many Tamils in Sydney do visarjan in a pot in their backyards. A seed Ganesha will be ideal as it would grow into a plant when dissolved in water. In a way, each one of us can share the responsibility to save the environment.”
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