"I have been flooded with positive response. People support my idea of eco-friendly immersion. On September 21, we will immerse the Ganesh and the chocolate milk will be distributed as prasad to underprivileged and orphaned children," shares the trained commercial designer and baker.
Rintu Rathod is a busy woman these days. Her phone buzzes constantly and at least 20-30 people visit her Santa Cruz house daily. Reason is the 38-inch Ganesh that Rathod sculpted entirely out of 35 kg of chocolate. The idol will be immersed in milk on the fifth day of visarjan, which will then be distributed among underprivileged children.
"I have been flooded with positive response. People support my idea of eco-friendly immersion. On September 21, we will immerse the Ganesh and the chocolate milk will be distributed as prasad to underprivileged and orphaned children," shares the trained commercial designer and baker. She adds that she started this mission last year but the response this year has been overwhelming.
Facebook pages, such as The Logical Indian that has over 37 lakh followers, recently posted a report about her chocolate Ganesh and the unique immersion. The post was shared by over 10,000 people and got over a lakh likes. Apart from this, the image of her chocolate Ganesh is doing the rounds on most social media networks.
Talking about the idol, Rathod says she mostly used dark chocolate and it took her over 50 hours to hand-sculpt it. The idol is in dance mudra and edible colour has been used for its ornaments and robes.
"We had to maintain very high standards of hygiene, as the Ganesh will be consumed later. A lot of precautions were taken. The idol is in an air-conditioned room and no one is allowed to go near or touch it. We have used spices to repel insects, if any. During immersion, only tetra-pack milk will be used," she said.
"While most people have supported the idea, some have questioned whether it was okay to consume the immersed Ganesh. I believe the best place to keep God is within oneself. And how can we justify the pollution created by immersing the idols in water? What is the need to play loud drums and dance numbers? All this nuisance is created in the name of a festival that is supposed to bring people closer," she adds.
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