Ganesh Mandals (page 2)

Also on the anvil are 15-20 more kalash (containers) to the 40 already present along the banks. These containers, each of which can store 300-400 kg of nirmalya (floral offerings), helps avoid river pollution. The additional kalash will come up in Karve Road, Deccan Gymkhana and Pulachi Wadi. These floral offerings will be converted into vermi compost in pits in the civic gardens.

He has also requested people not to immerse idols in rivers, but make use of deserted quarries on the city’s fringes, which are now lakes. He has set up collection points for idols to be transported to these quarries. ‘‘Last year, we collected about 45,000 idols from Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and other places. Since the PMC did a good job in making immersion tanks, Pune’s problem was solved,’’ Dabholkar said. After last year’s success with immersion tanks, the PMC will construct 15-20 new tanks to the 60 already constructed last year. The new tanks will come up in Kothrud and Deccan Gymkhana. For this year’s festivities, Dabholkar believes that clay idols will help. ‘‘People should buy a clay idol and immerse it in a bucket of water at home and use the water for plants. Better still buy a photograph of Ganesh and do away with the immersion,’’ he said. Others like Centre of Environment Education officer in-charge Sanskriti Menon are distributing clay idols and urging people to use specified tanks for immersion.

However, the eco-friendly drive seems to have found an adversary in the idols which are made of Plaster of Paris that is hard to dissolve in water. This has prompted founder of Anti-Superstition Eradication Committee Narendra Dabholkar to launch a campaign for clay idols. To begin with, he has started a signature drive of prominent personalities in the state, to appeal to people to buy clay idols.

1. They accept donations from companies to display their advertisements at the pandal.
2. Some have saved up money from past donations and contributions that have been deposited in banks and non-banking financial institutions. The interest is channelled to celebrate Ganeshotsav. Perhaps Navi Peth’s Hatti Ganapati mandal’s example is worth emulating. Corporator and president of the mandal Shyam Mankar says they stopped asking for vargani in 1993. ‘‘We had saved Rs 10 lakh that was deposited in banks. The interest, donations by some companies and voluntary contributions from people suffices,’’ he says. Mankar says residents now approach the mandal to pay vargani. ‘‘If the mandal works for social causes throughout the year and if its workers are friendly, people pay the contribution willingly,’’ he says.
3. Yet others undertake commercial activities like running coaching classes or manage swimming pools throughout the year. The money raked in makes them self-reliant. For example, the Gosavipura Tarun Mandal in Somwar Peth has been managing the civic body-owned Shahu swimming pool for several years. Mandal president Prakash Gosavi says the mandal earns enough to tide over the festival. ‘‘Now, we do not insist that people pay vargani,’’ he says.