More than 210 children, youngsters, women and senior citizens took part in a free eco-friendly Ganpati idol-making workshop in Rajkot, as a campaign to promote clay idols over Plaster of Paris (POP) during Ganeshotsav continues.
Organised by Mission Smart City Trust at Chitranagari, the workshop marked the sixth consecutive year of the initiative, which began in 2021. Participants were trained to make Ganpati idols using natural clay and decorate them with eco-friendly materials.
According to organiser Maulik Gotecha, the initiative was started with the aim of encouraging people to move away from POP idols and adopt environmentally friendly alternatives.
"We've been doing wall painting projects in Rajkot for the past 10 years. But for the last 6 years, we've had this idea that since the Ganesha festival is such a big deal all over India, we thought, instead of using POP, it's much better to use eco-friendly clay," Gotecha said in a conversation with ANI.
He added that the workshop has been conducted continuously since 2021 and is offered free of cost. "So, it's been a continuous journey since 2021, and this is our sixth year of organising it," he said.
Around 215 people participated in this year's workshop, with participants ranging from children aged 10-12 to people in their 70s. The idols made during the event varied in size, with some participants creating idols around half a foot tall, while others made idols measuring up to one-and-a-half feet.
Participants were also encouraged to use natural materials for decoration. Some brought decorative items and kalashs from their homes to adorn their idols. (ANI)
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