Mangaluru: Taking advantage of the much-loved Elephant God, environmentalists have this Ganesha festival come up with an idol with a sapling inside it, which can be planted near people’s homes after it is immersed in a pit nearby, giving a religious touch to their cause.
“Ganesha, the God with the face of an elephant is a symbol of the environment as elephants love greenery and spend their time in forests. We want to use this Ganesha festival to increase awareness and give a religious touch to the growing of trees,” says Mr Shashidhar Shetty, state general secretary of the National Environment Care Federation (NECF), which has designed the novel Ganesha idol with a sapling growing inside it.
Explaining the concept, he says people can select any sapling of their choice and give it to a few identified Ganesha idol-makers in the city to place inside.
“The entire sapling will go inside the idol leaving only its tip showing behind its head. The idol will be decorated using natural colours and will be immersed in a small pit filled with water near homes. Once the idol dissolves in the water, the sapling can be planted in the same pit,” he adds. “If every year one sapling is planted by a person during Ganesha festival, our green cover will naturally increase. Those living on small plots or apartments can plant tulasi and the Sarvajanika Ganesha festival organisers can use bigger saplings like sandalwood,” says the activist, who is optimistic that the idea will catch on in coming years even if it makes a small beginning this festival.
“We may not have many coming forward for this kind of a Ganesha idol this year, but it could lead to a green revolution in future,” he signs off.
