Rajasthan man to give away 500 clay Ganesha idols for an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi

Pained by the sight of broken plaster of Paris Ganesha idols lying scattered at river banks after Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, a man here is making 500 clay sculptures of the elephant-headed god that he will be distributing for free.

The 10-day-long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi began on Wednesday.

Nimish Gautam, 25, who works at a coaching institute, claimed he distributed at least 250 eco-friendly Ganesha idols last year and has doubled the target this year.

The environment conservation enthusiast said plaster of Paris (PoP) idols are harmful to the environment.

To raise awareness about how these idols add to water pollution every year, Gautam is making Ganesha idols using clay and edible colours. He put his plan into action a month before the festival.

Gautam said he collected black soil from construction sites, where it was dug out to lay the foundation of buildings.

After returning from office and having a quick dinner, he works on shaping and colouring the idols till late at night, he said.

“Sparing time for making so many clay idols is pretty tough. However, when it is your passion, it brings immense happiness,” Gautam told PTI.

“I make around 12-15 clay idols of Lord Ganesha every day,” he said.

Due to his last year’s effort, Gautam started receiving orders for Ganesha idols from his neighbours and relatives almost a month before the festival.

Asked about his investment in the project, he said he hardly spends Rs 500 on making these idols. This money mostly goes into buying the edible colours he uses to paint the idols.

Last year Gautam’s sister helped him make the idols. However, she got married this year and his mother is helping him now.