Thane pandal gives seed 'bombs' as prasad

This year, a Thane-based Ganpati mandal is urging devotees to shun firecrackers and instead "burst" seed bombs. Shreerang Sahanivas Ganeshotsav Mandal is distributing seed bombs as prasad to devotees visiting their pandal.

Seeds of custard Apple, Balsam, pumpkin, sweet lime, lemon, chickoo, cashew nut, tamarind, bullet wood, and dates are rolled into balls of clay and later handed over to the devotees to be planted in their neighbourhood garden or at their homes.

So far, the mandal has created 8,000 such clay balls. During the next few days, another 25,000 seeds will be converted into seed bombs to be distributed during the festival.

"We believe in a clean and green environment, and so this year we decided to distribute seed bombs to devotees as prasad, which they could plant," said Pramod Sawant, President, Shreerang Sahanivas Ganeshotsav Mandal.

"The seeds were collected through various means, and school students volunteered to convert them into seed bombs. We have received a good response to this initiative," Sawant said.

Omkar Patne, Joint Secretary of the mandal, said, "When devotees visit the pandal to seek blessings of Lord Ganesha, we ensure that everyone takes back home a message of eco-friendly Ganesha and celebrating the festival without affecting the environment."