Crafting EcoFriendly Ganesh Idols

The “Crafting Eco-Friendly Lord Ganesh Idols Project“ took place in the context of the Green School and Campus Project. Thousands of students were encouraged to find eco-friendly ways to celebrate a popular religious festival celebrating Lord Ganesh. UVS recognized the need for educating the youth on environmental conservation and pollution threats by connecting with religious aspects of their everyday lives. The District’s Education Officer granted UVS permission to lead this environmental conservation project, and schools and colleges were enthusiastic to participate. Now, students are helping to personally make the festival into an eco-friendly event by making biodegradable, environmentally-friendly Ganesh clay idols. Under this project Ganesh Idols were prepared by students with clay and set at their homes for ‘poojan’. During ‘poojan’, idols representing popular deities are prayed over and used for rituals to attract prosperity. At the end of ‘poojan’, idols, oftentimes made with non-biodegradable and toxic materials, are dipped into local waterways and dissolved. Due to the mass scale of this event and the general lack of knowledge about environmental safety and hazards, thousands of families are contributing to environmental pollution unknowingly. The project thus shows how impactful UVS can be at changing community behaviours through education, awareness building, and youth empowerment.