Eco-friendly has been the buzzword since the last few years, especially when it comes to Ganpati idols. And this year too, Mumbaikars are opting for idols that are soluble in water and not harmful to the environment. Of late, papier-m?ch¨¦ idols are a big hit in the city.
A few years ago, Andheri resident Rohit Vaste, along with his brothers, created chemical-free Ganesha idols with a mixture of paper pulp, clay and natural glues.
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They pressed the mixture in moulds of differently-styled idols. These idols looked as mesmerising as the PoP (Plaster Of Paris) idols and were as eco-friendly as the clay ones. These factors added to their popularity.
The Vastes have created 600 idols this year as compared to 100 three years ago. ¡°We used to offer 35 different styles of Ganpati until last year; this year it¡¯s gone up to 50.
There is a surge in demand for paper Ganesha,¡± he says. In three years, numerous workshops offering paper Ganesha have sprung up due to the rise in demand for it.
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Since the idols are basically hardened paper, they are much lighter than the traditional clay idols. ¡°Even a child can lift a large idol as they do not weigh more than three kilos. A clay idol of that same size would be much heavier and difficult for one person to carry,¡± explains the idol maker.
Snigdha Sharma a marketing executive, who has been bringing Lord Ganesha at home since the last few years, feels the convenience of paper idols makes a big difference to her. ¡°I am a single working woman and stay alone.
Since the last three years, I¡¯ve had Ganpati at home for one-and-half days. It¡¯s an auspicious occasion for me. I used to get clay idols idols, but now it¡¯s going to be only papier-m?ch¨¦ idols. They are much lighter, which makes things easy for me.¡±
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With space and time being some of the major constraints for Mumbaikars, Ganesha immersion inside an aquarium in the comfort and cleanliness of your own home is like a bonus.
Shiva Patil, a suburban resident with a demanding work life found it easy to complete all the visarjan pujas and formalities at home. ¡°Last year, we got home a small paper Ganpati idol. Five days later, we did the immersion at home, in our aquarium. The paper idol dissolved completely.¡±
Eco-friendly clay idols when created in large sizes become heavy. Rohit says, ¡°A paper Ganesha that is three-feet high can be picked up singlehandedly, but a similar one in clay will be heavy.
Not just that, these idols are also breakage-resistant. They can be couriered across the globe. This year, I got orders from abroad, too. Clay idols are fragile and difficult to transport, unlike these paper idols.¡±
Paper idols are usually without external decoration, but idol creators customise according to demands. They use gota, metal decorations, crystals, glass etc as jewellery for the idol, which gives it a regal look.