10 Tips for Celebrating Eco-friendly Navratri

The most serious impact on the natural environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris and polythene bags containing offerings. Celebrating Eco-friendly Navratri does not mean completely giving up the things you love. Eco-friendly Navratri festival enables you to celebrate festival grandly without harming environment and other living beings. Following are ten useful and simple tips for celebrating Eco-friendly Navratri.

• Clay idols for immersion: The idols made for immersion during Durga Puja festival were made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) and painted with layers of chemical paint which dissolves slowly, gradually releasing its harmful components into the water. Using only a natural clay idol for immersion and immersing it either in the tank or in a bucket of water at home instead of directly into natural water bodies helps to prevent water pollution and saves the environment.

• Eco-Friendly Rangoli: Rangoli is an essential part of any Indian festival. Instead of using harmful chemical colors or paints for Rangoli design, you can substitute them with rice flour, pulse and leaves.

• Eco-Friendly Dolls: During the festival of Navratri, it is customary to display a “Golu” or dolls. It is a traditional practice to have a figurine of a boy and a girl together called ‘Marapacchi’ Bommai. Homes that follow the custom of displaying can adopt dolls made out of clay, wood and cloth than Plaster of Paris.

• Eco-Friendly Decorative items: Decorative items made from thermocol have great demand since they are attractive and can be easily dismantled. But these decorative items made from thermocol pose a grave threat to the environment as well as to human health. You can also adopt decorative items made out of palm leaves and other eco-friendly products to decorate mandaps, idols, doors and wall hangings.

• Hand rolled Incense sticks: According to studies, incense is used primarily for religious, medicinal and meditative purposes, and was found to result in air quality which is hazardous to human health. Hand rolled incense sticks with natural fragrance can be used for the Puja. Ensure that your room or premises is well ventilated.

• Anti-Noise Committees: Most people believe that greater the fireworks, better the celebrations. The noise produced by crackers, loudspeaker, traffic etc are extremely hazardous to health. This can be especially upsetting to people who require undisturbed rest like babies and elderly people. You can form anti noise committees in your locality to take up all violations of the Environment Protection Act, with the police, the Municipality and if necessary, the Courts.

• Save Energy: Since people decorate their home by lighting them up, such places are a huge load on the power supply system. You can save a lot of electricity by instead opting for candles and diyas for decorating your home. Even though they consume oil, these lamps are usually used only for a short time.

• Say No to plastic: Save the environment by saying no to plastic bags. Plastic including polythene bags have a serious impact on the natural environment during festival seasons. For this Navratri festival, say No to plastic and save the environment.

• Prevent Water Pollution: Encourage people to immerse idols in tanks of water rather than in natural water bodies. Ban should be imposed on the immersion of plastic and thermocol waste, including polythene bags containing offerings, into lakes, rivers and the sea. If anyone is using a POP idol, adopt symbolic immersion and donate the idol for recycling.

• Clean-up drive: After the immersion ceremony, on the tenth day of Navratri or on Vijayadasami day, encourage associations, NGOs, social workers and volunteers in your neighborhood to participate in a clean-up drive. This helps to prevent water pollution and to clean up lakes, ponds and other water bodies used for the immersion of idols.