Ganesh given a green makeover
The traditional practice of modelling Ganesh statues from clay is being revived by a company called eCoexist in the Indian city of Pune. The biodegradable idols will be made from shaadu (natural clay) and will be painted using natural dyes such as turmeric, geroo and multani mitti. The age-old tradition of making Ganesh statues from clay grew out of favour with the introduction of plaster of Paris, which was cheaper, lighter and more portable, but because it's not a natural product it caused high levels of water pollution and increased the acid levels in the water with heavy metals being released into the water system, from the toxic paints used to decorate the idols.
"By demonstrating that there is a growing market for such idols, we hope to give the sculptors the confidence to make the shift back to using natural clay," said eCoexist proprietor Manisha Gutman.
[via Treehugger]
