Residents of Malkajgiri pray to clay idols for sake of environment, immerse idol in artificial tank every year

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court ordered on September 25, 2023, that Ganesh idols made of plaster be immersed in an artificial lake rather than in the Hussain Sagar.

But how many residents of Hyderabad strictly comply with this order? Like every year, many devotees have placed PoP Ganesh idols on the city's pandals to be immersed in Hussain Sagar tomorrow (September 28, 2023).

On the contrary, we should all take inspiration from the residents of Malkajgiri area in Hyderabad who have been strictly sticking to clay idols for the sake of the environment for the last 14-15 years. Every year, they not only erect clay Ganesh idols, but also immerse the idol in an artificial water tank without polluting lakes and water bodies in the city.

Meet the residents of Devi Nagar in Malkajgiri who immersed their 3-foot-tall clay Ganesh idol in a artificial water drum on Wednesday. Purnachandra Rao (66), treasurer of Sri Ramayalam Committee Devi, said, "We have been doing this for the last 14-15 years and used to sink the clay idols in Safiguda Lake. But since COVID -19 we have been immersing the idol in an artificial water drum in the temple premises.

"We believe that others should also follow this kind of practise to protect lakes and our environment as PoP Ganesh idols are harmful to the environment," he said.

Every year on Ganesh Chaturthi, residents of Devi Nagar in Malkajgiri set up a clay Ganesh idol in Sri Ramayalam temple and performs all puja rituals for 9-11 days. After Ganpati Navratri, they make special arrangements to immerse the Ganesha idol in the temple itself with fresh water in an open water drum, said BT Srinivas, board member of Sri Ramayalam Committee.

Make large clay Ganesh idols available at reasonable prices to encourage the use of clay idols in Ganesh Pandals

Mr. Srinivas added, "We have been performing this ritual of setting up clay Ganesh idols for the past 14-15 years to protect the city's water bodies and lakes from pollution. We started doing this after local municipal officials raised awareness about clay idols and artificial ponds to protect the environment. Following COVID19, we started to immerse our clay Ganesha in an artificial water drum, and many local residents were encouraged by this endeavour. And after immersion, we use the same water to water the plants in the temple. Actually, all city residents should do this to protect our lakes and the environment.

"Every year we buy just one three-foot Ganesh idol so that we can immerse it comfortably in fresh water in an open water drum. Every year, NGOs and environmental activists start speaking out against the PoP idols and the courts issue orders just days before the festival, making it difficult to follow the guidelines imposed by the court. Instead, I believe that the State government should get in touch with idol manufacturers and try to supply large Ganesh idols at subsidised cost as well, because in many pandals the youth prefer PoP idols because they are more affordable than clay idols. We paid Rs. 5,000 for the 3ft tall clay idol, but the same size idol in PoP would cost between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 2,500. To encourage more people to use clay idols, the government should ensure that these big clay idols are also available at reasonable prices," said BT Srinivas, Executive Committee member of the Devi Ramayalam Committee and resident of Malkajgiri.