With many people not knowing where to get eco-friendly Ganeshas from, residential colonies have come together in their forums to help people procure them.

Many residential colonies having their own WhatsApp groups, information is being shared to members in advance to pre-book clay Ganeshas on them.

Idol makers have been sourced from various parts of the city like Abids, Begum Bazaar, Moosarambagh, Nagole, Uppal and KPHB colony from whom idols can be pre-ordered.

Mr K. Panduranga, president of residential colonies in ECIL said, “Last year a lot of households had complained that they were not able to procure clay Ganeshas as they did not know where to get them from. Hence this year, a fortnight ago, we started creating awareness amongst the residents. Names of vendors and telephone numbers are being provided on various groups so that people can pre-order idols or procure them directly.”

Mass pre-bookings are also being done in colonies in Tarnaka, Uppal, Mettuguda, A.S. Rao Nagar, Bowenpally, Trimulgherry and other areas where housing colonies celebrate the festival. Ms Laxmi Reddy, an architecture student, has been trying her hand at idol making for the last three years.

She said, “This year there is a workshop being conducted for enthusiasts who want to make their own idols. Guidance from a trained person would help.”

Workshops are being held in 10 areas and over 300 centers by Youth for Seva in the city who are going to make idols of less than one feet. Mr Anil Bhagat, coordinator of YFS said, “We are conducting workshops on weekends for people who want small idols at their homes.”

When it comes to puja, there are many norms to be followed. People mostly don’t know how to perform this puja. Twenty-one types of leaves have been identified for puja, which are also helpful for purifying water. Residents, who have sourced this information from various pundits who perform pujas, have looked into the sanctity and also for environment friendly mediums so that water bodies can be protected.

Ms Uma Rao, said, “As per the rituals, leaves, barks and other tree parts are to be used for the puja. These, when put directly in water, will get decomposed and also help in purifying water.”

People should refrain from using plastics and thermocol for puja and decoration. Architect Ms Neha Shailender said, “Instead of using plastic plates, people can use eco-friendly donnas, banana leaves and ishtarak plates for prasadam.”

Also Read: 30 Percent Ganesh Idols Booked in Advance

BY M.DIVYA SRI