INTRODUCTION

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival celebrated across India. It is the celebration of the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is revered by many. It has been celebrated for centuries, and so have the traditions and practices that come along with it.  The most prominent ritual accompanying the festival is the immersion of the Ganesh idol into a water body. It symbolically represents the return of the spirit of Ganesha back into nature, which had been residing in the idol till now. The tradition of immersion is one that is held sacred by many and is also considered one of the most important. Despite being a holy and sacred practice, certain factors, over time, have led to this tradition having its own drawbacks. A major issue arising from it is the introduction and gradual shift of the base component of the idol from clay to Plaster of Paris and the immersion of Plaster of Paris idols into natural water bodies. This material is quite harmful to the bodies of water it is immersed in. It is not only insoluble but also poses a threat to aquatic life and the cleanliness of water due to its synthetic nature. In a study that was conducted, wherein multiple artists were engaged with,  many reasons for the shift from clay to Plaster of Paris came to be known. By and large, the main reason simply was that Plaster of Paris is much easier to work with than clay. It is faster to make, far more durable, lighter and can be made by simply pouring it into a mold. It is cheaper as well. There is also a demand for Plaster of Paris idols from the consumers’ side, leaving the artisans’ hands tied. All these reasons have pushed artisans to move towards Plaster of Paris. 

WHAT IS ‘ECO-FRIENDLY’

The question remains: what truly is ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable?’ We can look at the example of clay. It is a natural material and dissolves immediately in water. This should make it completely safe for immersion. Unfortunately, it is not so. Clay has its own setbacks. For starters, it is a non-renewable source. Also, clay creates sludge in water once immersed. This might cause water blockages in rivers. This reason was also cited by the artisans interviewed by me. A large number of idols immersed at once create huge piles of mud in water bodies, giving rise to a whole different set of issues. Making use of this clay through recycling is an efficient way to be sustainable, but then the extraction and, subsequently the transport of clay is also an issue that needs to be tackled. This is being addressed by foundations such as EcoExist through their Punaravartan campaign, but the issue still persists. Sustainability changes with each angle you take. Is something truly sustainable if it is threatening the livelihoods of a whole community? It might be ecologically sustainable, but does it truly sustain and benefit society as a whole? This is a question that we need to delve a lot deeper into. Clay models are still relatively in demand. There are people who prefer clay. But Plaster of Paris has captured a large chunk of the market, and trying to completely take that away without providing the correct alternatives and solutions would certainly put many artisans out of work. 

 

WHY ARTISANS STRUGGLE WITH SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES 

This brings us to the issue of artisans trying to maintain sustainable practices while trying to earn a living and keep a roof over their heads. Many artisans simply cannot do anything as customers demand Plaster of Paris, leaving them no choice. There is also a lack of general awareness among the artisans regarding the effects of Plaster of Paris or even alternative materials. Even though we as environmentalists might want or push artisans not to use Plaster of Paris, they are, in a way, compelled to do so. Caly is also significantly more expensive to produce as well as purchase. This also leads the customers to gravitate towards Plaster of Paris. 

Plaster of Paris has also brought in a level of mechanization and industrialization that has further diminished the art of making idols. Plaster of Paris idols can be made by pouring the slurry into a mold. This has led to a decline in the number of clay artisans. The skills required to make idols have reduced significantly due to Plaster of Paris. Making Ganesha idols as a craft is losing its specialty and sacredness. The beautiful tradition and practice is slowly moving towards becoming more and more commercialised. Mass production is being prioritised, and the handicraft nature of it is being diminished. The culmination of all of these factors has led to a rise in the use and immersion of Plaster of Paris idols. 

The matter of the livelihoods of the artisans also comes into the picture. From the survey conducted, it was also established that making Ganesh idols was not only the primary source of income for the majority of the artisans but the entire family was also engaged in this line of work. Therefore, staying in business is very crucial for these artisans and they have to thus do as the market demands. That further complicates trying to shift artisans from Plaster of Paris to other materials, as the majority of them have no other income streams. 

CONCLUSION

Traditions, sustainability, and livelihood all exist in a complex, interconnected state. Traditionally, Ganesh idols would be made from only clay. This has now changed and evolved. Yet, the tradition still continues, and it is important to do so. As discussed previously, this practice has become harmful and unsustainable for the environment due to this evolution. It is now harming the environment and to continue this tradition, alternatives need to be found. An argument can also be made, whether or not, the tradition needs to be continued since it is proving to be harmful. Then, the topic of livelihoods arises. There is a huge community of artisans dependent on this tradition for their income as we found out from the survey. Not continuing this practice would severely impact the already struggling community of artisans. In the same way, livelihood and sustainability are also intertwined. A push towards sustainability might disrupt livelihoods due to Plaster of Paris dominating the market. This creates further complications in this field. 

All in all, the three are quite connected, and changing any aspects of one field will definitely affect the others. Finding a middle ground where the practice of immersion is continued is made to be completely sustainable and where this sustainability does not affect the livelihoods of a large community of artisans is key. Finding the balance between these three will truly make the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi a real spectacle. A way to perhaps achieve this is through creating awareness about alternative materials to not only the consumers but the artisans as well. Training to work with these materials should also be provided. There should also be a push to change the consumers’ mindsets. If all these aspects can be achieved, the balance can maybe be found. But it remains to be seen whether or not this can in practice and in the real life as there always multiple angles to be explored.