We hear of products being made eco-friendly because of what happens when they eventually return to the environment. Now spare a thought for the eco-artisans of Gulbai Tekra – their work goes back in immediately.
The annual, day-long Ganesha Festival celebrates the Hindu god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune, and takes place all across India (and the rest of the world) somewhere between mid-August and mid-September. In the west Indian state of Gujarat, idols of Ganesh are submerged in water to represent the completion of the creation cycle. They were traditionally made of clay, but more recently artists have been turning to Plaster of Paris covered in metal paints. Dissolve these into the water supply, and you have an environmental disaster in the making – as witnessed by the dead fish floating in lakes and rivers following the more recent festivals.
So – as is so often the case – the traditional method is the way forward. Clay is reinforced with coconut fibre to add strength. The problem is that eco-friendly idol production is time-consuming and Gulbai Tekra’s artisan population are suffering financial hardships and degrading living conditions as a result. It’s a situation crying out for micro loans, like those administered by Project Have Hope.
And for the sake of India’s water supplies, let’s hope such support isn’t long in coming.
Image: Fredo Alvarez