Celebrating an eco-friendly ganeshotsav is not limited to just ordering non-plaster idols but also extends to other aspects such its decorations, which are often not used more than once.
Deepak Makwana, a 36-year old Santa Cruz resident, as part of a theme-based decoration for his family's ganpati, has made a model of the proposed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue, which upon completion is slated to be the world's highest at 182 metre. And not limiting his decoration to the statue itself, Makwana has also made a model of the world's second largest, Sardar Sarovar Dam, complete with flowing water, and all this without using plastic or thermocol.
Celebrating an eco-friendly ganeshotsav is not limited to just ordering non-plaster idols but also extends to other aspects such its decorations, which are often not used more than once. By adopting eco-friendly materials for his grand annual decorations, Makwana has ensured that his family celebrates an eco-friendly ganeshotsav in its entirety.
"80% of the material that I use for creating these models is recycled. Even the plywood, on which the structure of his models is based on, is used for making furniture after the festival," said Makwana, an interior designer by profession.
His family has been celebrating ganeshotsav by bringing home a 2 feet high clay (shadu maati) idol since 27 years and for the past 10 years, Deepak has been making replicas of various Indian structures, including the Vrindavan Chandrodaya Temple (which will also be the world's highest), the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue and Mumbai's International Airport. It was the urge to be innovative with the skills he had that inspired him to replicate architectural wonders.
"Each year I decide on a theme about some world-class structures being made in India. I start by making a wooden frame, then use newspaper, cardboard and clay on top of it.The lights I use are only LED and even the paint I use is non-synthetic," added Makwana, who has won many awards for his environment friendly decorations over the years.
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