Green Ganesha: Go for Shaadu maati idols for this year's Ganesh Chaturthi

Every Ganesh Chaturthi the switch from plaster of Paris PoP to ecofriendly idols has been a challenge not just due to higher costs of sustainable materials but also because of the convenience of transportation of PoP sculptures and the demand for it A green option that is available although not as widely as PoP idols is idols made from shadu maati which is natural clay found on the banks of rivers Shadu maati idols while watersoluble and nontoxic to the environment are heavy and more susceptible to breaking becoming a difficult alternative for artisans to switch toTambat displays the final idolThere has been an emphasis on green celebrations that many platforms and brands are paying heed to and offering ecofriendly products And customers too are open to environmentally sustainable options if theyrsquore available and reasonably priced One such platform is Book A Workshop Started in 2020 by 26yearold entrepreneur Nidhi Agarwal the platform curates creative experiences in DIY kits that come complete with a howto video Their offerings include 60 types of boxes in arts and craft food perfumery educational toys and in its second edition a DIY shadu maati Ganesha The kit comes with a threekg pack of shadu maati carving tools a red cloth to cover the idol with once itrsquos ready and a QR code with unlimited access to a stepbystep tutorialShadu maati Ganesha kitldquoWe launched the kit last year and received a great responserdquo Agarwal tells us While the finished sculpture gives you a nontoxic and watersoluble product Agarwal lists convenience as another benefit of the kit ldquoWorkshops are great ways to teach but a prerecorded video on demand is far more convenient for people to fit into their schedules I can see people logging in to watch and learn from the video at 1 amrdquo Agarwal shares The founder tells us about future plans to include natural colours in the kit adding ldquoRight now we encourage customers to use natural dyes food colouring or organic products like haldi for yellow and beetroot for red so that the idol remains ecofriendly Paints like acrylic watercolours and oil paints will defeat the purpose of having a green immersionrdquoMonica Mahajanrsquos finished idol right Nidhi AgarwalAgarwal also shares a sneak peek into Diwali celebration kits such as a bedazzle kit and terracotta puja plate kit Intending to promote and tell the stories of Indian arts and crafts the founder tells us ldquoWe try to work with artisans from across India either in the materials we source or the video created Our Lippan mirror art and Warli painting kits are such examplesrdquoLog on to bookaworkshopin on InstagramCost Rs 751Tips from a userMonica Mahajan a consultant dietitian from Thane was drawn to making the Ganesha murti herself to feel a closer connection with the festival ldquoIt not only fuelled my creativity but it also made me very attached to the idol I was more than happy with the result and received many compliments for the sculpturerdquo She shares her review of the kit and a few tips as a beginnergtgt The video takes you through the process step by step Its easy to follow and make the idol even if youre not very creativegtgt It was unclear how much water and clay to mix for the dough I used half a litre of water for three kg of claygtgt My idol took around 25 days to dry If yoursquore looking to paint the idol start one month in advancegtgt Pay attention to the proportions of the hands legs and trunk so they matchgtgt Itrsquos okay if your idol is not the same as the masterrsquos in the video Everyonersquos creativity is expressed differentlyThe idol waygtgt Tree GaneshaMade from red soil organic fertilisers natural colours and seeds you can plant a tulsi marigold or other plants post your home visarjanLog on to treeganeshacomCost Rs 2200 onwardsCall 8879672071gtgt Ecofriendly GanpatiFor idols in 12 15 and 18 inches that come with 15 organic colour variationsLog on to ecofriendlyganpatiinCost Rs 1799 onwardsCall 9326900763gtgt Vighnaharta ArtsFor customised shadu maati Ganesha idols of all sizes and designsLog on to vighnaharta_arts_official