HYDERABAD, INDIA, August 5, 2007: The Khairatabad Ganesha this year is all set to blaze a new trail going in for an eco-friendly makeover. The district administration that has been campaigning for a shift to eco-friendly natural dyes for the Murthis, hopes that more Murthi makers and festival organizers would follow suit. “We have yielded to the Government’s request for use of eco-friendly colors,” says S. Sudarshan, chief organizer of Khairatabad Ganesh Utsav Committee. Whether clad in natural Indigo, dark green, maroon or chocolate, the 40-foot giant Deity however cannot do without that matt finish in its fashion statement. The Chirla-based Shyamal Handlooms involved in Kalamkari work for a decade was approached by N. G. Ranga Agricultural University for developing eco-friendly colors. It took them four months of research to come out with required hues. They would supply as many as nine colors for the Deity.
“Sixty liters of colors will be needed to paint the whole statue. We have already sent samples of a liter each,” said U. Venkateshwar Rao from Shyamal Handlooms that is ready to supply eco-friendly colors to other manufacturers and artisans. Hyderabad District Collector R. V. Chandravadan commended the big step taken by the Utsav Committee on Saturday while speaking at an awareness workshop attended by artisans, resident welfare associations, committee members and officials of Pollution Control Board and National Green Corps.