New DelhiDelhi Pollution Control Committee on Friday issued guidelines for Ganesh Utsav, Durga Puja and other upcoming festivals. The committee directed the idol makers and vendors to use natural clay and biodegradable materials for the manufacture of the idols. The committee said that POP (Plaster of Paris) based idols will not be allowed for immersion in water bodies (ghats/ponds) except at places identified by the authorities.
“Safety measures are to be taken during the immersion of idols on the banks of river Yamuna as mentioned in the guidelines. As far as possible, encourage the idols to be immersed in water buckets or artificial ponds. Dispose of the worship material to be collected separately,” the committee said.
Ganesh Chaturthi is a ten-day long festival that began on 31 August and will end with Visarjan (immersion of idols in water bodies) on 9 September. This festival marks the birth of Lord Ganesha.
Celebrated in the Shukla Paksha of Ashwin month in the Hindu calendar (September-October), this year Durga Puja celebrations begin from 25 September with Shashti falling on 1 October. The 10-day festival marks the worship of Goddess Durga. A few months before the festival, the idols of Durga and her children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh) are made in the workshops of the artisans using uncooked clay.
The festival begins on the day of Mahalaya when the ritual of ‘Prana Pratishtha’ is performed by painting the eyes on the idol of the Goddess. Shashti, Saptami, Ashtami… Every day the festival has its own significance and rituals. The festival culminates on the tenth day as Vijayadashami when the idols are immersed in water bodies.