Ganjana Shri Ganaraya, Ganapati Bappa Morya! The lord of wisdom and prosperity, the one who loves his modaks and ladoos, is coming home soon. Ganesh Chaturthi is around the corner, and the excitement is palpable; final touches to the makar, double checking the ingredient list for modaks, planning schedules for aartis, deciding which pandals to visit when – the preparations are underway in every household.
While most in the city have a family ‘murtikar’ or sculptor who has been making their idols across generations, some opt for a do-it-yourself eco-friendly idol. At Palava, our residents got an opportunity to make their own traditional ‘shaadu cha Ganapati’ and try their hand at sculpting! Palava held an eco-friendly Ganpati idol-making workshop in association with ‘Eco-vibes’ at the Lakeshore Club. The creative enthusiasts of the city came together to carve their Ganesha idols from ‘shaadu’ or ‘clay’ with cardboard and other tools provided by the partners. The zeal of a 60-year-old inspired the curiosity of a 10-year-old; as they say, festivals bring together generations.
The residents patiently sculpted their favourite Ganesha; a few decided first to make the head with the trunk, while the others started with his feet and hearty belly. In addition to ‘shaadu’ being environmentally friendly and a far better alternative than the commercial Plaster of Paris, the joy of culpting with it took many residents down memory lane.
Participants were ecstatic with the outcome and had a sense of pride about how they are bringing in festivities in a thoughtful manner. They were shaping not just the natural, eco-friendly Shaadu clay, but also a greener tomorrow!
Young parents were content that their kids are getting the right instruction and are in a nurturing environment. Each idol has a lovely earthy aspect that made it worth looking at.
In the words of our resident, Ajitha Ranganathan who is an environment enthusiast, “I never thought I could make my own Ganesha idol, but Dr. Sheetal made the workshop fun and easy. I love attending workshops in Palava as they allow me to pursue my hobbies and make new ones! I went back home and made three more idols!”
The atmosphere is packed with devotion and jubilation during the 10-day festival that culminates in countless idols of the elephant God being immersed in water bodies across the country. It’s high time each of us bring a change. At Palava, we strongly support sustainability, and do our best in making the whole process of being environment friendly inclusive by sensitising the residents through such engaging meaningful workshops. It’s nice to see the Palavians combine creativity with sustainability. Truly International in outlook and Indian at heart, is what we are!
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