The festival time is beginning in India and people are starting to clean their houses and buy materials to decorate them. One important festival that is celebrated with great pomp and show is Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayak Chaturthi. It is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of the Hindu God Ganesh. People all around India place Ganesh’s idols at home and pandals. ‘Modak’ is given to the Lord Ganesh as an offering. It is a ten-day festival, and on the tenth day, the idols are carried in huge processions and then submerged in water. The Ganesha idols available in the market contain POP (Plaster of Paris), chemical, and synthetic dyes. When people immerse these idols in water, they decrease the oxygen levels in the water. The creatures and fishes in the water die because of low oxygen levels. Therefore, people are now switching to DIY Eco-friendly Ganpati Idols so that the water bodies are not polluted.

If you are also planning to make eco-friendly Ganpati Ji this Ganesh Chaturthi, then here are a few DIY ideas for you.

DIY Eco-friendly Ganpati Idol Ideas

Clay Ganesh Murti

You can use the clay available with the potter to make this murti. On the day of Visarjan, immerse the idol in a tub or bucket of water. Later on, use this water to water the plants.

How To Make The Murti

Mix clay with water to make it into a dough.
First, shape three big balls for the base, body, and head.
Next, shape the clay into four long pieces for the limbs.
Then, shape the clay into four small balls for the tusk, crown, and ears.
Take the big ball and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Place the second ball of clay on top of the first to make the body and add more clay to make the tummy look rounder.
Place two elongated clay pieces to form the arms and legs. Use a toothpick to make the dhoti, toes, and fingers.
Place a ball of clay for the head and a smaller one for the trunk. The trunk should have a pointed end.
The two small balls make out the elephant ears and with a toothpick, score the ears to make it realistic.
Use the leftover clay to make the crown and jewels and pierce the clay to make eyes and navel.
Use Tumeric to colour and brighten the murti.
Ganesh-On-A-Leaf Clay Idol

This small clay idol can be made and painted by your children. Once it dries up, you can mount it as a wall hanging.

How To Make The Murti:

Take some clay and shape it like a large leaf. Score the leaf to make it look more original.
Take another ball of clay, make it a semicircle and stick it on the leaf. Since it is an idol on the leaf, it has to be flat.
Make all the body parts with the clay.
Take a small ball of clay and flatten it. Using a bottle cap, cut a round shape from the clay.
Cut the clay into equal halves with a knife and make the elephant ears.
Place a crown on the head and ensure all the pieces stick to the leaf.
Papier- Mache Ganesh Idol

Papier-Mache is an eco-friendly solution to harmful POP idols available in the market.

How To Make The Murti:

Add water to the Papier Mache to make it a soft dough.
Make all the pieces separately. You need a big ball for Ganesha’s stomach and two elongated chunks for the back portion.
You need two pieces for the ears, one for the trunk and two tiny ones for the ears.
Place the big ball on a smooth surface, then attach the elongated ones to make hands and legs.
Assemble all the body parts and smoothen the cracks with water. Use a toothpick to make the eyes and navel.
It takes two days for the idol to dry and then you can adorn it with ornaments and tilak on the forehead.