Make Your Own Ganesha workshops have mushroomed across the NCR; people can learn how to make eco-friendly, unbaked idols that can be used to grow plants later.
As Ganesh Chaturthi festivities begin in NCR, Make Your Own Ganesha workshops have mushroomed all over the city. People are choosing not to buy Ganesha idols, and are instead making their own Ganeshas from clay. These idols are not only eco-friendly, but can also be used to grow plants, after mixing with soil.
‘40% rise in those signing up for workshops this year’
In Noida, those conducting Make Your Own Ganesha workshops say that this year, there has been a 40% rise in number of people signing up. “People used to be ignorant of the fact that idols sold in the market are made of Plaster of Paris (POP) and harm water bodies after immersion. It is only in the last two years that people have become aware. This year, there was a 40% rise in the number of people coming for the workshops,” says Pooja Verma, who runs a pottery studio in Noida Sector 21. Around 75 people signed up for her workshop this year.
Gurgaon resident Kanika Rajput, who organises clay Ganesha-making workshops, adds, “Earlier there weren’t many people celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in Gurgaon. In the last three-four years, however, the festival is being celebrated here with much enthusiasm. This year, there have been many inquiries regarding Make Your Own Ganesha workshops in the city, because people have become more environment-conscious.” Kanika’s pottery studio received over 20 registrations this year.
Students at a workshop in Gurgaon
First-timers, kids make Ganeshas
Noida Sector 128 resident Divyanshi Lohia will be celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi for the first time this year. “My friend has been celebrating the festival for many years and this time, I wanted to celebrate, too. However, I’ve always been environment conscious and wanted to opt for an eco-friendly celebration. So, I enrolled myself and my friend for the Ganesha-making workshop,” says Divyanshi, who works as a clinical psychologist in Pitampura.
Gitika Bhagat, a resident of Defence Colony who takes eco-friendly Ganesha-making workshops for kids, says that she makes a Ganesha each year for her home as well. “It enables you to celebrate the festival grandly without harming environment. I make my Ganesha with eco- friendly materials.”
It is not just adults but kids, too, who are excited to make their own Ganeshas. Radhika More, who lives in Gurgaon Sector 43, tells us, “I found this exercise to be a good way to introduce clay modelling to my pre-teen kids. We spent just under Rs 2000 on the workshop and all the material. I have never seen my kids so excited for Ganpati visarjan before.”
‘A therapeutic experience’
Sharing her experience of making a Ganesha idol out of clay, Liza Gupta from Noida Sector 11 says. “Making my own Ganesha was a therapeutic experience. I also posted about it on my social media to urge others to do it,” says Liza who studies psychology at a private university in Noida.
Abhinav Rathi, a 34-year-old consultant from Gurgaon, says, “I made the Ganesha idol for my house myself for the first time last year and attended a workshop to learn that. It’s eco-friendly and instead of spending money to buy an idol from the market, it is better to spend it in learning to create something that is yours.”
Ganesha-making in progress
Ganeshas that grow into a plant
Many potters who conducted the workshops have added seeds in the clay used for making Ganesha so that they can grow into plants. “These eco-friendly Ganesha idols remain unbaked. Each idol contains seeds and organic manure, so it can take the form of beautiful plants,” says Rajesh Maurya, who runs a pottery studio in Noida Sector 52. Pratima Dadwal, 61, adds, “I love gardening, and making my own Ganesha with seeds in it gave me another excuse to plant one more sapling in my garden.”
People across NCR are choosing not to buy Ganesha idols, and are instead learning to make their own Ganpati from clay, which is being taught at several workshops
— With inputs from Riya.Sharma@timesgroup.com and Abhimanyu.Mathur@timesgroup.com
In Video:'Make your own Ganesha' workshops a hit in Delhi-NCR!
As Ganesh Chaturthi festivities begin in NCR, Make Your Own Ganesha workshops have mushroomed all over the city. People are choosing not to buy Ganesha idols, and are instead making their own Ganeshas from clay. These idols are not only eco-friendly, but can also be used to grow plants, after mixing with soil.
‘40% rise in those signing up for workshops this year’
In Noida, those conducting Make Your Own Ganesha workshops say that this year, there has been a 40% rise in number of people signing up. “People used to be ignorant of the fact that idols sold in the market are made of Plaster of Paris (POP) and harm water bodies after immersion. It is only in the last two years that people have become aware. This year, there was a 40% rise in the number of people coming for the workshops,” says Pooja Verma, who runs a pottery studio in Noida Sector 21. Around 75 people signed up for her workshop this year.
Gurgaon resident Kanika Rajput, who organises clay Ganesha-making workshops, adds, “Earlier there weren’t many people celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in Gurgaon. In the last three-four years, however, the festival is being celebrated here with much enthusiasm. This year, there have been many inquiries regarding Make Your Own Ganesha workshops in the city, because people have become more environment-conscious.” Kanika’s pottery studio received over 20 registrations this year.
First-timers, kids make Ganeshas
Noida Sector 128 resident Divyanshi Lohia will be celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi for the first time this year. “My friend has been celebrating the festival for many years and this time, I wanted to celebrate, too. However, I’ve always been environment conscious and wanted to opt for an eco-friendly celebration. So, I enrolled myself and my friend for the Ganesha-making workshop,” says Divyanshi, who works as a clinical psychologist in Pitampura.
Gitika Bhagat, a resident of Defence Colony who takes eco-friendly Ganesha-making workshops for kids, says that she makes a Ganesha each year for her home as well. “It enables you to celebrate the festival grandly without harming environment. I make my Ganesha with eco- friendly materials.”
It is not just adults but kids, too, who are excited to make their own Ganeshas. Radhika More, who lives in Gurgaon Sector 43, tells us, “I found this exercise to be a good way to introduce clay modelling to my pre-teen kids. We spent just under Rs 2000 on the workshop and all the material. I have never seen my kids so excited for Ganpati visarjan before.”
‘A therapeutic experience’
Sharing her experience of making a Ganesha idol out of clay, Liza Gupta from Noida Sector 11 says. “Making my own Ganesha was a therapeutic experience. I also posted about it on my social media to urge others to do it,” says Liza who studies psychology at a private university in Noida.
Abhinav Rathi, a 34-year-old consultant from Gurgaon, says, “I made the Ganesha idol for my house myself for the first time last year and attended a workshop to learn that. It’s eco-friendly and instead of spending money to buy an idol from the market, it is better to spend it in learning to create something that is yours.”
Ganeshas that grow into a plant
Many potters who conducted the workshops have added seeds in the clay used for making Ganesha so that they can grow into plants. “These eco-friendly Ganesha idols remain unbaked. Each idol contains seeds and organic manure, so it can take the form of beautiful plants,” says Rajesh Maurya, who runs a pottery studio in Noida Sector 52. Pratima Dadwal, 61, adds, “I love gardening, and making my own Ganesha with seeds in it gave me another excuse to plant one more sapling in my garden.”
— With inputs from Riya.Sharma@timesgroup.com and Abhimanyu.Mathur@timesgroup.com
In Video:'Make your own Ganesha' workshops a hit in Delhi-NCR!
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