The campaign launched last year by environmental activists, groups, and organisations, particularly the awareness among the schoolchildren, for the celebration of Vinayaka Chaviti in an eco-friendly manner reached a high pitch this year and it has an impact on many with people preferring clay or mud idols of the Lord Vinayaka for puja during the festival.
School and college students are preparing clay Vinayaka idols for distribution among themselves and also for others. Some social service organisations announced free distribution of clay idols.
The ‘Chaviti Pandirulu' are also falling in line.
At some pandals large idols of Vinayaka are taking shape with clay, instead of the Plaster of Paris which was extensively used till last year. The need to avoid Plaster of Paris idols has been understood by the people well. GITAM University's MBA students, under the banner of Ecofriends, made clay Vinayaka idols.
“The chemical-based Ganesha idols spell danger to our lakes and living creatures in the tanks. The clay idols are safe to use,” students made it clear in their campaign.
They presented a clay idol to Vice-Chancellor G. Subramanyam, who said that such an activity would also inspire others to go for eco-friendly idols.
A large number of pupils of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, from class I to XII were busy on Tuesday preparing clay idols of Vinayaka at a workshop conducted by the school in connection with the International Year of Chemistry in order to make children aware of the pollution due to chemicals.
A programme conducted by Visakha Valley School to propagate eco-friendly festival was a success with the pupils used biodegradable material like coconut shells, paper, etc. to prepare the idols.
Among the forms in which Lord Vinayaka was presented were Tendulkar Ganesha and Anna Hazare Genesha.
Students of Aditya Degree College would prepare clay idols and distribute them to 150 families in and around Srinagar area in which the college is located, said Principal N.V. Venugopal.
Idol distribution
To create awareness among the public to protect environment and to avoid PoP and chemicals, the Rotary Club of Vizag Couples along with schoolchildren is distributing clay Vinayaka idols to the public from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Kali temple on the beach road and Vizag Round Table 77 is taking up the same programme at 8 a.m. near Sampath Vinayaka temple.
The Vizag Journalists Forum in association with the Jayarama Charitable Trust is distributing eco-friendly Vinayaka idols to its members at Narla Venkateswara Rao Bhavan in Seethammadhara from 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
