Eco-conscious Doonites get mitti ke Ganpati home

The lanes of Bindal, with stalls selling colourful Ganesha idols, have been buzzing with customers over the past few days. Whether it’s a five-feet tall moorti or a small one, Doonites have been buying idols of all sizes but one thing is common when it comes to customers’ preference – the idols have to be eco-friendly.

Mitti ke Ganesha idols have been selling like hot cake this season and with GST of 12% being levied on Plaster of Paris (POP), the idols made of this material have also been finding less takers this year.

 Doonites go for the more expensive but environment-friendly clay idols over POP ones

Munna Lal, who has been selling Ganesh idols at Bindal for the past five years, says, “People are increasingly becoming environment conscious these days and most Doonites have been opting for idols made from clay this year. Though these idols are more expensive – they cost almost the double of the idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP) – people are still preferring them. For instance, if a one-foot-tall Ganesha idol made of POP cost you `1200, same size clay idol is around `2500 -`3000. These idols are really delicate. So as soon as you submerge them in the river, they dissolve immediately unlike idols made of POP that keep floating in the river. “

Ramesh, a banker from Kishan Nagar, says, “Last year, I had gone for the visarjan and our Ganesha idol kept floating in the sea and didn’t really submerge in the river. It then struck me that how harmful these POP idols are for the environment. It was then that I decided to buy eco-friendly Ganesha idol. Though these idols are more expensive, you feel good that you are not buying an idol which will cause environmental hazard.”

Babloo, another idol maker in Bindal, says, “I sell both POP and clay idols but this year, the sale of clay idols has been more. While some idols are made in Doon, many are brought from Kolkata and Rajasthan. Also, since these clay idols are tax-free, the profit margin is more on these. There is a 12% GST on POP, so the price of these idols has increased a bit which has, in turn, decreased their sale by 20%.”

Ganesha piggy banks for the kids!