How about a green Ganesh Chaturthi?

Homecoming of Ganpati bappa was exciting since childhood.

How about a green Ganesh Chaturthi?

Homecoming of Ganpati bappa was excitingu00a0 since childhood. As a kid, I was piqued by this rolly polly cute god who was pampered by the choicest of laddoos and modaks. He was the reason for family reunions, mouthwatering preparations and the best part was when the family collectively gathered for the aarti, it was such an amazing feeling!!

But like all that begins, comes to an end, 10 days would go by and then would come the part that I dreaded the most. Ganesh visarjans! Not only the thought of saying goodbye to the god made be sad, but the entire drama behind the farewell was also frightening!u00a0

As a kid, I have witnessed many visarjans and rubbed shoulders with sweaty aunties and animated uncles, merry-making, and I often pondered if Ganeshji actually looked back at this procession of wild cards foot-tapping incessantly to Bollywood numbers, their minds clearly devoid of any praises for the lord, he would feel quite lonely.

I recall losing tears on the beach not at the thought of seeing my Bappa for the last time that year, but because I had a nightmare where I saw a Ganpati choking helplessly and flashes of the disfigured idols castaway at the shore. For me, it was nothing less than the aftermath of a terror attack!

I wanted a logical explanation the next morning and was flummoxed when my teacher told me that until 1893, Ganesh Chaturthi was a private affair. It was Lokamanya Tilak who reformed the annual Ganesh festival from being a private one-day celebration into a grand 10-day public event.

Few of us know that traditionally the idol was sculpted out of earth taken from outside ones home. However, commerce demanded natural clay to be replaced with Plaster of Paris, easier to mould, lighter in weight and less expensive. However, the flipside is, it takes two years to dissolve and releases toxic elements along with chemical paints.u00a0u00a0

What started in 1893 as a strong nationalist movement to inspire Hindu unity, is still going strong today, but is now coupled with chaotic traffic, blaring music. Eve teasers, molesters, and pick-pocketeers, all have a field day.

Little did Tilakji know that the war against the Brits would be won, but with time the commercialisation of this practice would create enemies for the new age social reformers!

Environmental groups advise us to use smaller idols and encourage visarjans in a bucket. The shadoo mati Ganesh idols dissolve in no time and the pious remains can then be used as holy ash or put in mud tulsi plant.

Commercialisation of religious festivals has a positive influence in nurturing communal sense, but when the celebration ends and the environment suffers, people need to evaluate this problem and treat it like their very own baby. After all, Ganesha would not even dream that the beautiful gift of natural resources is exploited.

Surely, our devotion should not be blind towards God's fine creations in our zeal to uphold his idol.

Amritau00a0Rao is an actress. Follow her on Twitter as amritarao17.u00a0