Ganesh Mahotsav is one of the festivals, which is celebrated with great pomp in Vadodara every year. But coronavirus halted all kinds of celebrations like the Rathyatra, Janmashtami and Ganesh Mahotsav. The government has canceled all celebrations and have asked people to follow the guidelines. So, people this year are sticking to low-key celebrations and are avoiding gatherings which can cause transmission of the virus.
People have been opting for eco-friendly Ganpati idols. Thus, Mukesh Gupta from Vadodara prepared Ganesh idols made from cow dung which are in great demand. He started the initiative in the time of the pandemic.
“The message is loud and clear of a clean environment as the idols made from cow dung are totally safe and can be immersed inside a water vessel and then it can be used as natural urea for the plants. This year we start it as an initiative to help people become Atmanirbhar and go totally desi. The orders are beyond our expectations and we are trying to complete it as per our strength,” said Gupta. He followed PM Narendra Modi’s vision of self-reliant India and Vocal for Local initiative.
He said that the farmers now have an extra income and they know the value of cow dung. Lots of women were also engaged in the idol-making process. This year they prepared around 200 idols with the help of 50 women from Rajasthan and Abu. These idols are 100% pure and the colors have been prepared from fruits which makes it totally natural.
This year, the orders are from Rajasthan and Maharashtra and due to the rains, they could not fulfill all the orders.
The cost of these idols is half of the clay idols and its easily affordable. They have registered themselves as MSME. They will be selling on online platforms soon. One can also order the idols on kamdhenu.com
