Hrithik Roshan to Dia Mirza: Take cue from actors on how to celebrate eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi- In PICS

The Ganesha idols are generally made up of clay, Plaster of Paris (POP), plastic and cement. Toxic paints and flowers are also used in decorating the statues. And when `visarjan` takes place, the idols along with these poisonous materials get seeped into water that lives on for decades in water bodies, leaving an indelible impact on the ecosystem.

Eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi As 10-day festivities of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in India have already commenced and if you are thinking to change your way of celebrating the festival, then right away take a cue from Bollywood celebrities who have time and again stressed the importance of not harming the environment during the festive celebration, especially Ganpati Visarjan. Take tips from b-town stars on celebrating an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi.

Bigg Boss OTT fame Raqesh has always been very active in telling the World about eco-friendly Ganesha. Elaborating about it, he said, "To create something, you don't need to destroy. We should really know the difference between our wants and our needs. If you understand that, we can protect the earth and our environment, not just for us but for our future generations as well. So, let's start small guys and with this Ganpati Bappa Morya, we have to. May God bless us and give us 'sadbuddhi' (good sense) to keep our environment clean and happy. Let's pray to a better living for the future."

Actor Dia Mirza, who is a true advocate of nature, often talked about celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in an eco-friendly way. In 2019, she brought home an eco-friendly idol and shared the importance of minimalism and sustainability. "Ganpati Bappa Morya! Traditionally we made clay idols and then immersed them in water to denote the Birth Cycle of Lord Ganesha/ Ganpati who was created from Clay/ Earth. Visarjan in its own way talks about nature`s life cycle and while it should be one of the most Eco-friendly events in India, it has become something else altogether."

Instead of immersing Ganpati idols in water bodies, one can also opt for Ganpati Visarjan at home using minimal water to give Bappa a nice send-off. Have a look at this picture in which actor Sanjay Dutt is seen giving a cute send-off to Ganpati by immersing the idol in a water container. The particular picture was captured in 2018.

The latest social media post of singer-composer Vishal Dadlani will definitely give you a biter reality check about the aftermath of the Ganpati celebrations. He shared pictures in which multiple large Ganesh idols and other puja paraphernalia can be seen discarded at the beach after Ganpati Visarjan." India, don`t immerse Ganpati in the ocean or natural water bodies. Can`t bear to see half-dissolved idols all over again. Treat Ganesha & Nature with the respect they deserve. Use natural, soluble idols & immerse at home/in tanks built for this. Pl. don`t let this happen again," he has urged.

Making alternative tanks for immersion or similar arrangements at the individual household level is one of the best eco-friendly ways to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. When COVID-19 was at its peak, many people including stars like Hrithik Roshan opted for Ganpati Visarjan at home as it`s not safe to go out. Thankfully, normality has now returned but for the environment's safety, it`s better to opt for Ganpati visarjan at home than to immerse the idols in water bodies.

Actor Rithvik Dhanjani is completely against the use of Ganpati idols made of Plaster of Paris. Every year, he makes handmade Ganpati idols at his home using mud. Don`t forget to take care of the environment while enjoying the festival. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.