(When troubleshooter creates problems )
-An afterthought on the Ganesh Festival -

Lord Ganapati is worshipped since the birth of the Indian civilisation and Hindu religion in particular, as Vighnaharta i.e. the troubleshooter god. All religious ceremonies start only after propitiating lord Ganesh who rules the hearts of hundreds of millions of Indians in India and abroad and now has turned out to be a cosmopolitan god in places like Mumbai where the people from other wide and varied religions including Muslims also worship lord Gajanan whole-heartedly.

This troubleshooter god Vighnaharta, it is feared, may turn out to be the troublemaking god! Difficult to believe, isn't it? But the history of certain incidences during the last few years projects a very clear indication in this direction. At times and places, He has also been the root of severe differences and disturbances, creating large scale social problems. The immersion of the idols is a common site for these uneasy scenes.

As known to all of us, the system or the ritual of the immersion of the idols with great pomp and show at the end of the ten days festival from Ganesh Chaturthi to Anant Chaturdashi has come down the history right from the time of Lokmanya Tilak. In the coastal areas, it is in the ocean, otherwise in some nearby water-body like river, pond or lake. Overcome by a great wave of emotions and faith, while bidding good bye to their beloved god, while immersing the idol in the waters, the Bhaktas say with folded hands - " Ganapati Bappa mor ya, Pudh cha varshi lavkar ya." Meaning "Come soon the following year.".

The scene every year in Mumbai on the sea-shore places like Chowpatti, Marve, Manori or Gorai at the immersion spots is only to be seen to be believed. The human ocean embracing the Arabian Sea!! The largest possible population swells to see their god off to the ocean for immersion under the Bandobust organised by the municipal corporation and police authorities.

This year will also see one more 'action replay' of this annual grand celebration and its finale of the immersion processions. In a rough estimate, about 31,000 big idols from the public places and more than 1.5 lakhs of the family ' Sthapans ' will be seen on the roads of Mumbai, leading to the immersion spots.

To think of the fate of the marine or aquatic lives after all these idols will go down the waters! Worrisome speculations have already started jerking the minds of Mumbaikars. An urgent attention of the government also is drawn by the ecologists and environmental scientists towards the possible hazards inflicted by the Plaster Of Paris of the immersed idols. According to them, Plaster Of Paris does not get dissolved or disintegrated fast. Moreover, the chemical dyes and colours being used to colour them contain poisonous elements. Particularly, Red, Blue, Orange and Green colours contain Mercury, Zinc oxide, Chromium and Lead, the potential causes of developing cancer. Just think of the untoward effects of these colours when so many thousands of idols are immersed in a limited stretch of waterline as stated earlier. Massive hurt is caused by the Plaster Of Paris on the fauna and flora of these coastal areas.

A few years ago, in the three Talabs near Dombivali - Thane where idols from the surrounding areas came to be immersed, thousands of fish were killed by the chemicals found with Plaster Of Paris, as proved by the laboratory investigations and five trucks had to be engaged to take this dead load away.

Since Plaster Of Paris is a costly substance, the artisans sculpting the Ganesh idols resorted to more economic material during last few years. This material is the lime stone being used in the industries to eliminate the acidity of the chemicals. This limestone in a chemical reaction with the industrial chemicals produces Calcium Sulphate or Calcium fluoride. One can see heaps of this whitish waste product outside many factories near Thane. This white clay like looking substance has in it many poisonous substances over and above acids. The idols prepared out of this material get easily dissolved after entering the water, but the dangerous chemicals too go into the water, killing the population of fish in the affected area.

Even the idols created from comparatively much costlier Plaster Of Paris also is quite unsafe since it contains Gypsum, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Magnesium. Moreover, the colouring materials used in painting the Ganesh idols - like Bond colour, Plastic colour, Primer, Binder, also have substances like -Mercury, Cadmium, Lead, and Carbon. The entry of Mercury and Cadmium in the body severely disturbs the breathing process. At times, the blood coagulation also is reported. The rise in the level of Lead in the body gives rise to skin diseases and many more ailments.

According to one estimate, 7500 idols of Ganesh weigh about 20,000 kg or in other words, 20 tons. The sea-shore of Mumbai absorbs the immersion of about 1.5 lakh idols. The very calculation of the accumulation of clay, Plaster Of Paris, dangerous Chemicals from the paints and colours will shatter the thinking faculty of any brain. Think of post-immersion pollution in the rivers, talabs and the sea-water. Just think of the far outstretched after-effects casting a long shadow of doom and any human soul will realise the dire need of some urgent solution to this looming catastrophe. Mumbai Municipal Corporation has this time given a serious thought regarding the various facets associated with the immersion, before the whole process of even the Sthapan initiates on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi.

On the other hand, the lovers of safe environment have extended various suggestions to keep away the pollution sequel to the Visarjan. One suggestion has come to donate the idols instead of immersing in the water-bodies. In some towns, where huge 20' or 30' big idols are placed during the festival, at the time of immersion, their mini replicas are given to the waters. A more interesting and appealing suggestion has come to auction those huge idols installed by the Associations and utilise the proceeds in some good social projects.

Shri Kedar Gore, the education officer of 'World Wide Fund for Nature - India' has suggested to consider the metal idols instead of clay or POP to avoid the damage detailed out earlier. Also, reduce the number of idols in Sthapan in the families. The Ganesh Mandals must go for small size idols instead of the huge ones.--Preferably, 5 or 10 such Associations should club up together and have one single idol installation. One way in this direction is to install one good metal idol and manage the celebration year after year with the same. One more way is to create the Ganesh idols from the paper pulp which dissolves easily and faster after immersion. If all this is not acceptable, the associations will have to say yes to the option of forgetting the huge ones and install only those idols measuring a foot or so!

An example is already set in this direction by the most famous Dagdu Halwai Ganapati and Akhil Mandai Mandal Ganapati of Pune. They used to carry the huge idol installed during celebration to the Sangam of Mooola And Mootha rivers for Visarjan but after performing the religious ritual i.e. Vidhi, the river water is just sprinkled on the idol as a symbol or mark of immersion and bring the idol back. Now, for last few years a well designed attractive temple takes care of this auspicious 'Ganesh-Murti' throughout the year. The surrounding villages near Pune also follow the same system even for their small size idols.

The liberal approach of the municipal bodies of various towns and cities in India have so far saved the environment-offenders from the penalty. But there in Britain, America, Singapore, or Hongkong, the Ganesh-lover Indians can not perform Visarjan in our usual way in the water-bodies. There, they install a small size idol of Ganesha made out of clay and at the end of the celebration or festivities, perform the Visarjan-Vidhi in a bucket or a small barrel at home only, thus saving the surrounding and environment from the pollution.

It is not only for the idols of Ganesha to pollute the surrounding, but the paraphernalia of the thousands of tons of floral offerings and many other substances like thermocol used in decoration going into the water alongwith the idol in the process of immersion are equally problematic. Appeals have been extended to the public to give a direly needed thought to this.

Mumbai Municipal Corporation has planned to keep ' kalash' at many places for the collection of the waste and 'Nirmalya' with a request to the public to make use of them and drop flowers, thermocol etc in these collection units and extend co-operation in saving Mumbai from pollution

The non-biodegradables like plastic bags, thermocol etc are dangerous for the marine life. The floral collections and other waste collected in these 'Kalash's will be utilised to create manure or natural fertilizer to be used in the municipal gardens beautifying Mumbai as Green Mumbai, Clean Mumbai!

An award of Rs. 20,000/- is already declared by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation for the associations stressing on and establishing and justifying the theme of a stand taken by MMC against the use of plastic bags in their Ganesh-Mandap Decorations.

Let us have a look at some other types of problems too. About a decade ago, a police official entered the proximal area near the Ganesh-Murti in Vasheri - Dongri area with his shoes on which created a furore in the crowd around. The heat generated in the people around enraged the police inspector who disconnected the loud speaker and walked away with the microphone.

A non-stop Ramayan recitation in this Mandap came abruptly to an end only on the ninth day due to this commotion. To surmount the problem, the inspector was a Muslim! Thousands of enraged citizens raised a demand to punish the inspector who had insulted the god and vowed that immersion would not take place until the Inspector was punished. The authorities appealed to the mass to perform Visarjan and assured the public for the due punishment after the necessary enquiry but to no avail. At last, the priest explained his theory of sin (!) if the Visarjan was performed in the Shraaddha-Paksha. This was accepted by the public and finally the immersion of four idols belonging to the area took place!

About fifteen years ago, similar problem was located at Malegaon near Nasik in Maharashtra and the immersion process was delayed by five long days after Anant Chaturdashi. Navsari in South Gujarat area with a population of two lakhs has 300 plus idols immersed in 'Dudhia Talav' for last few years. But the emergence of a Rs. 8 crore project for potable water by the government of Gujarat, compelled for considering the change of place. The alternative identified was Sarbatiya Talav in the middle of the town. Some mischief-mongers declared this place to be dirty, not suitable for this religious ceremony! It was only after the civic body taking up the cleaning operations of this tank that immersion could take place.

Last year due to the ebb in the sea, an overnight waiting period for the sea-water to rise to suitable levels for immersion created a traffic jam difficult to manage. Many small idols immersed in the shallow waters surfaced soon with the water receding due to the ebb.

This year, a well organised bundobast has been carefully planned out, but the monsoon pot-holes on the roads of Mumbai are sure to create discomfort for the trucks carrying the idols, particularly the big ones. The corporation authorities have been facing a threat from some associations who have asked for the repairs of the roads before 12th September or else, all idols of Ganapati will be brought on the roads and not immersed.

Thus Vighnaharta is likely to turn Vighnakarta! Let us pray that this lord of knowledge and reason blesses all with sound understanding. Let the good sense prevail, O Lord!

Related articles:

• A gallery of Ganapati images
• A write-up on the Ganesh festival in Mumbai