Delhi: Nature conservationists urge Durga Puja organisers to go green

 Bamboo. Wood. Clay. And paper. Durga Puja organisers in Delhi are making a bugle call to protect environment and celebrate festival of ir favourite deity in a sustainable way, keeping in mind one of major challenges of our time: Climate change. t just pandals, decoration and cutlery used to serve 'prasad' are bio-degradable. Even idols are made up of eco-friendly materials soluble.

READ | Balakot Air Strikes me Of Kolkata Durga Puja Marquee

'probashi Baangali' community (Bengalis living outside Bengal) behind Dwarka's Dakshinayan Durga Puja Samiti has conceptualised puja as a throwback to simpler times when everything was bamboo, cloth, 'maati' (earth) and 'shol' (a white plant-based decorative material).

Bamboo, considered a green gold, has been a traditional element in Bengal for building homes and or structures. It's surprise n that traditional timber is used to erect pandal. But it's interesting that Samiti has used bamboo to bring alive ir me: Earth. Chaos. Peace.

facade is a multitude of bamboo poles, painted in an assortment of colours to portray varied human-life sts from infancy to old . entrance is an arch of bamboo poles, joining at pinnacle and depicting entwined relations within social order. Walking past gate, one is led to deity, who is surrounded by pristine white walls.

"White symbolises purity and is intended to evoke a sense of peace and oneness with goddess," said Alok Mukhopadhyay, president of Samiti." pandal, cultural st, reception area and stalls are t just beautiful but also environment-friendly," Mukhopadhyay added.

READ | Durga Puja Pandal To Pay Tribute To Goldsmiths With 50kg Gilded Statue

Delhi goes green with bamboo, clay and paper

five-day festival marks goddess Durga's victory over buffalo demon Mahishasura and her return from her mythological home in Kailash, where she lives with her husband Shiva. On visit, she is accompanied by her children  Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya.

In Chittaranjan Park, kwn as Delhi's mini-Kolkata, two puja committees are celebrating festival by going green. In its 45th year, Mela Ground Durga Puja Samiti is popular for its unique mes and large-scale celebrations. This year, y have recreated 'zamindar' culture of 18th-century Bengal when feudal lords would celebrate festival with grandeur and opulence in ir 'raj baadi', or royal homes.

pandal features a massive entrance gate made up of again bamboos. 'mandap', which houses idol, is decorated with craft reminiscent of era gone by. decor uses n-toxic and chemical-free materials, said Avik Mitra, a member of puja organising committee.

READ | Kolkata Community Durga Puja med On Refugees Amid Fear Over NRC

"From idols to decoration, everything is created using soluble clay. We have used organic colours made of dried fruits and flowers and we are also using paper plates to distribute bhog," Mitra added. To keep Yamuna clean, puja samiti will immerse idols in an artificial pond.

Supporting initiatives to keep environment clean is B-Block Durga Puja in C R Park, which is in its 44th year of puja celebration. Durga idol here has been decorated in traditional 'daaker saaj'. Historically, idols have been decorated using silver foils, often imported from outside India. Since embellishments would come through mail (daak), it came to be kwn as 'daaker saaj'.

"Our idol is completely eco-friendly. Only permissible colours are used. In fact, our pandal is also completely eco-friendly. So would be our visarjan," said puja samiti's executive member Sayan Acharya.

Though relatively new, puja committee in Gurgaon's DLF-5 is also doing its bit. idol here too is made up of only clay. puja organisers are t using plastic or metal articles and have used eir wood, paper or clay.

"re's been a deep concern about environment at a global level. While celebrations must go on, we must also be responsible," said a puja committee member. 

READ: Kajol Visits Durga Puja Pandal With Family In Mumbai