After ten long days of prayer and celebration, of dancing on the streets and recklessly blocking traffic, of beating drums and reciting devotional bhajans, it will be time to bid farewell to Lord Ganesh. Ganesh, widely regarded as the bringer of prosperity and remover of obstacles, will not slip away unnoticed. Rather, devotees will make sure he is seen off in style, so that he may triumphantly return next year for a similar round of celebrations.
On the morning of September 3, 2009, hundreds of thousands of devotees — hands filled with some combination of coconuts, flowers, uncooked rice, and coloured powder — will flock to bodies of water. They will loudly chant, “Ganpati bappa morya, pudcha varshi laukar ya” (Hail Lord Ganesh, return again soon next year) while dancing and dousing each other with colour. They will then say goodbye to the beloved elephant-headed god by immersing their idols into the sea. The idols, historically constructed of clay, are intended to dissolve in minutes and become part of the ongoing circle of life (a fitting choice, given how Ganesh himself was supposedly concocted out of sandalwood paste).
Ganesh Chaturthi is, in theory, a beautiful, colourful, and spirited celebration. Like most Hindu festivals, its exact origins are unknown. We know that Ganesh has been worshipped in individual homes for centuries, particularly in western India. However, the festival was revolutionized in 1893 and gained the public face it enjoys today. It was this year that freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak installed large images of Ganesh in various pavilions around Pune city, as a subversion to the British ruling that disallowed Indians from gathering freely. Since then, the festival has grown phenomenally around western India and to some extent globally.
Unfortunately, growth of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival has not necessarily been sustainable. Over the years, celebrations have become more lavish: neighbourhood temples have become grander, renditions of Marathi folk songs have become louder, and Ganesh statues have become more conspicuous. And by “more conspicuous,” I mean they reach up to 30 meters in height and are painted with the Brightest and Bestest paints artists can find. I’m not sure this is exactly what Tilak had in mind.
You may wonder how long it takes for one to construct a 30-meter tall clay statue. And where does one find that much clay anyway? The answers to these questions are sadly moot, since in the race to construct extravagant idols, many have abandoned clay for the cheaper (and less biodegradable) Plaster of Paris. Earth-toned vegetable dyes have similarly given way to more vivid (and more toxic) paints.
What is the result of this? Considering that Mumbaikars alone immersed over 175,000 statues last year (many of which were PoP), it can’t be good. According to an independent study by the Central Pollution Control Board, the annual immersion of Ganesh idols has significantly increased water’s iron, copper, mercury, chromium, and acid contents. And since Plaster of Paris can take months (and sometimes years?) to dissolve, fishing communities will often find pieces of once-revered Ganesh idols tangled in their nets.
The good news is that unlike industrial water pollution, this can easily be solved through effective and widespread grassroots action. Every year, several groups petition for devotees to immerse biodegradable Ganesh statues (made of anything from clay to coconuts), to “symbolically” immerse reusable idols by sprinkling water on them, or to immerse idols in a tub at home. These groups seem to be gaining tremendous ground; many devotees I’ve seen this year appearing to be centering their celebrations around slightly more clay-looking Ganpati statues.
The true test will be on September 3, the day of the mass immersion (also known as the visarjan). Will Mumbaikars, for once, heed the advice of the “tree huggers?” For the collective sake of aquatic life, Tilak, and the spirit of Lord Ganesh, I hope so.
That was a very thoughtful idea put forward by you! I love the way you write…casual, yet like a professionally written first hand experience of things.
I too wish that the people of this country become a little more sensitive toward the environment. But the problem here is not their insensitivity towards nature, but our increased sensitivity towards our religions and the associated rituals. No one dare ask anyone here to start being more tactful when it comes to these.
I concur with you in hoping that we start respecting mother nature just as much as we respect our Gods and Goddesses.
I agree that Indians need to start respecting mother nature a bit more. There’s no reason why the environment should suffer everytime we want to celebrate Ganesh (or any god, for that matter). Thanks so much for the sweet note :)
Great article Bansal!
As you know, i have a clear weakness for anything and everything Ganapati related :-) but as a former Juhu resident and having personally picked my way along the beach through the leftover debris the morning after, i couldn’t agree more!
Keep blogging x
Very well written piece! Presents a very balanced view. I am glad to know about the shift that is happening to more eco friendly Ganeshas thought I have not really seen them yet.
As my house is right next to an immersion pond, officially known as ‘Lokamanya Tilak Ganesh Visarjan Talab’, we get to see and hear action till the wee hours of the morning during all the immersion days! And I can’t agree with you more that the processions are getting noisier.