Be responsible towards the nature: Tiger Shroff

My parents have been celebrating Ganpati at home for 28 years now. We keep Ganeshji for one-and-a-half days. It's a great couple of days for the family! Everyone gets involved in the puja and keeps Ganesha company while he's home. When we were kids, all the building children would get together and put up an entertainment show for the adults. It was awesome! And the entire building would sit together and eat yummy bhog in the garden. Then finally we would all pile up into a huge truck with all the building Ganpatis and go together for the visarjan. Those were some of our best memories!

We prepare traditional puja food during these two days. No non-veg is cooked during this time. I believe in eco-Ganesha where idols are made of environment-friendly material instead of plaster of Paris. Our Ganpati is always one made of mud. Dad (Jackie Shroff) has always been very eco-conscious. We immerse our idol in a large copper container filled with water and a little ganga jal. Once our Ganesha has dissolved, which takes about an hour, the same water is taken to my father's farm and used to water the plants there.

There are various ways we can celebrate eco-Ganesha and help to preserve the environment. Try to use eco-friendly materials for the puja, the old traditional ways are the best. We should try not to pollute our ocean with plastic and other garbage. Eco-Ganesha is important in today's times to preserve the environment. In fact, it's absolutely crucial! We feel it's an impossible task, but if everyone did whatever they could in their own small way every day, it would make a massive difference in no time!

In my own way I try to preserve the environment and conserve energy. I try not to waste water or electricity and I am very conscious of my surroundings and environment. DNA has been celebrating Eco Ganesha for the last few years. I think it is a brilliant initiative! The press has great power to influence the public. And in the words of my favourite super hero 'With great power comes great responsibility'.

—As told to Upala KBR