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With Ganesh Chaturthi being just around the corner, Mumbaikars have already begun their search for the perfect Ganesha idol. But every year after the festive fever passes, the rivers and seas are polluted with the POP and synthetic colors that are used to make the Ganesh idol. The environmental cost of such a practice is very high and Rohit Vaste intends to change that. Rohit, after years of hit and trial came up with Paper Ganesha, an eco-friendly idol that is made of Papier-mâché and colored with watercolors. Rohit has revolutionized Ganesha idols by creating them out of Papier-mâché. The idols look mesmerizing and are no different than the ones made out of clay, or Plaster of Paris (PoP). On the contrary, they are ten times stronger than idols made out of PoP, disintegrate in water like any other idol and can also be home-delivered to one’s doorstep. Another advantage of creating idols from recycled paper is they are painted using pastel colors, while chemical paints are used on the POP idols, and those paints contain lead, which is harmful to health and the environment.
Rohit, the creative artist and the mind behind Paper Ganesha says, “I got the idea after I saw some Kashmiri Papier-mâché bangles on display at a market. What we do is create a dough-like substance from a mixture of clay and mashed paper and then mold it into an idol. Afterward, we put another layer of paper on top, and polish and paint it. My hand has always been good with clay, but I wanted to invent something different and not just make ordinary idols. I wanted something that was not harmful to the environment.” Vaste has been creating Ganpati idols for the last 14 years. Before he used to sell POP idols but after closely looking at the aftermath of festivals and reflecting on the environmental cost of using POP idols, he had a change of heart and decided to use more eco-friendly alternatives.
Papier-mâché is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste. Two main methods are used to prepare papier-mâché. The first method makes use of paper strips glued together with adhesive, and the other uses paper pulp obtained by soaking or boiling paper to which glue is then added. Normal Eco-friendly Idols are very delicate, and because of their delicateness and heaviness, these idols break easily if mishandled. On the other hand, Rohit’s papier-mâché idols are very strong and light-weighted by nature.
Another advantage of creating idols from recycled paper is they are painted using pastel colors, while chemical paints are used on the POP idols and those paints contain lead, which is harmful to health and the environment. In the long run, Rohit aims to produce papier-mâché idols on a mass scale and encourage people to switch to an eco-friendly option.
He is starting this campaign to raise funds for mass-producing Paper Ganesha idols so that this Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in an eco-friendly way. “Our product is relatively new in the market and even the market for it is niche. I need help to make Paper Ganesha a mainstream idea so that we don’t end up destroying our environment,” Rohit adds. For this campaign, Rohit is making a special offer for the people of Mumbai. The first 70 Mumbaikars who donate exactly Rs 3000 will get an environment-friendly Paper Ganesh delivered to their doorstep for supporting this cause.
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