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MUMBAI, INDIA, September 21, 2004: A Mumbai-based non-governmental organization, the Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Upasana Trust, headed by Dr. Aniruddha Joshi, is spreading awareness about environment-friendly Ganesh icons. “One-and-a-half months back we decided to encourage people to make Ganesh icons using paper pulp, which will reduce pollution and won’t harm fish,” said Sandhyaveera Jaykar, a member of the trust. Earlier Jaykar said, icons were made of clay, which is not easily available and is heavy. So artists started using plaster of paris, which is cheaper and lighter, and chemicals. But these cause pollution. The organization collects waste paper, shreds it, and turns it into pulp, which is then rinsed, dried, and again put into a mixer to get fine powder. The powder is then mixed with water to be made into papier mache. Around 20 percent clay and starch is added to the material so that it binds well. Except for the golden color used for the crown and other ornaments, the colors used are natural, mostly vegetable dyes. Idols prepared in this fashion dissolve in water within a few hours. The trust’s job doesn’t end with making icons. There is also a post-immersion plan in place, where devotees visit various seafronts a day after the immersion and collect all icons that have floated back. These icons are then re-immersed.

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