Making Navratri an eco-friendly event is not about ‘spoiling the fun’, but about celebrating the spirit in its truest sense. Want to know how you can go green this Navratri? Keep reading.
Navratri in India is not just a festival but nine nights of sanctity, prayers, fasting and celebration of the Divinity. Cities across the country are decorated with lights, huge gathering places are prepared for large commotions and magnificent idols of gods and goddesses are made.
The entire nine nights of celebration spell bounds everyone, but when it is over, it casts a looming threat to surroundings. How?
Well as a farewell ritual these gigantic idols are immersed into the river on the tenth day. Prepared from PoP (PLASTER OF PARIS) and chemically treated colours they pollute waterways and rivers.
With the latest ‘plastic-free’ movement initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the entire country is beckoning the initiative. So here are few tips in which you can be a part of this movement by celebrating eco-friendly Navratri:
Use of Eco-Friendly Idols
Earlier the idols of gods and goddesses were prepared by using clay. It was an eco-friendly and harmless way. But as the demands of more attractive idols grew, people started using Plaster of Paris (PoP) and artificial colours. When the idols are immersed in rivers and other water bodies, PoP degrades the quality of water. The water becomes harmful for aquatic animals and humans as well. Thus, using clay idols would help to keep the rivers and lakes clean.
Don`t Throw Floral Offerings into River
While we love to decorate our idols with fresh flowers every day, they begin to decompose by the end of the day. When these flowers are thrown into the river they float and deposit on the banks. Hence, depositing all the floral offerings at a waste collection point would be far more responsible. The local bodies can then separately compost it to produce manure. It will be then used for the gardens located in your area or city.
Go Natural with Rangoli
Rangoli is a part of every Hindu festival in India. It is a traditional way of decorating homes with multiple colours incorporated into beautiful designs. There are many colours in the market that are available for this purpose these days but they are harmful and contain chemicals. Instead of using them, shake your creativity up. Use rice, pulses, flour and leaves to come up with some stunning designs that are eco-friendly too.
Serve Food in Biodegradable Tableware
Festivals are best celebrated with the loved ones. When it is Navratri, you are bound to receive numerous guests at your home. While it becomes exceptionally hectic to wash cutlery post socializing, using plastic cutlery has resulted in large landfills. Thus to reduce plastic waste, you can purchase biodegradable tableware. Made from sugarcane pulp and rice husk, they are eco-friendly and compostable. It will not only save you from post-clean up but will also turn into manure if kept inside the composting bin.
Incense Sticks
The sticks that are perfumed and are increasingly used for religious and meditation purposes are dangerous too. It has been found to be a health hazard that can affect our lungs badly. Therefore always use the hand rolled incense sticks as they are eco-friendly and do not pose any environmental threat.
Every festival is meant to be celebrated in great spirits. But it is also our responsibility to keep our surroundings, waterways and cities absolutely clean. From serving snacks in biodegradable tableware to bringing clay idols at home, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Navratri in a truly divine manner.
To welcome your guests in a stylish and eco-friendly way, visit www.ecoware.in .They are the best biodegradable tableware manufacturers and offer an extensive range of eco-friendly tableware.