Preserving Traditions, Protecting The Planet: Celebrating A Single-use Free Ganeshotsava Festival! – Moodbidire Ganeshotsava

Ganeshotsava, also known as Ganesh Chaturthi, is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha. It involves installing Ganesha idols, worshipping, and performing rituals. Shobha Yaatra (on the fifth day), holds a significant place in the public celebrations of Moodubidire, attracting a massive gathering of over 1 lakh people. However, the sheer scale of the festival, particularly during the vibrant processions at night, contributes to a substantial amount of waste being disposed of on the roads. Recognizing the environmental impact of this, a commendable step was taken to transform the Ganeshotsava event into a zero-waste spectacle in September 2023. Collaborative meeting with TMC Moodbidire, Awareness, Community engagement and efficient waste management have proven to be successful in conducting a zero waste event on a large scale.

IMPACT

1,39,000+ single-use paper/plastic plates, cups, tumblers replaced with steel cutlery
Rs. 20,400/- saved by serving refreshments in eco-friendly cutlery
50+ volunteers and 70+ vendors engaged

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In the previous year’s Ganeshotsava, Mrs. Sandhya, Swachh Brand ambassador of TMC Moodubidire, the visionary founder of Nisarga Tumblers and the founder of Kalpavriksha, spearheaded an innovative environmental initiative known as the “Coconut Shell Challenge.” This marked the maiden venture undertaken by the Kalpavriksha team. Mrs. Sandhya’s objective was to advocate the utilization of coconut shells as an eco- friendly alternative to conventional paper cups. During the event, she distributed paanaka for free in 150 coconut shells to devotees, a symbolic gesture that gained significant traction among prominent figures, including police officials, journalists, and high- ranking authorities. These esteemed individuals actively embraced the concept by partaking in refreshing paanaka (juice) served in these natural, biodegradable vessels. The distribution of coconut shells served as a modest yet impactful commencement, designed to lay the groundwork for broader awareness and inspire collective action.

The context for this initiative arose from the prevalent use of single-use items during Ganeshotsava, contributing to extensive littering on streets and public spaces. The primary objective was to mitigate the pervasive use of disposable items, consequently reducing the voluminous waste generated and discarded onto our streets. Thus, the seed for this transformative idea was planted, envisioning a Ganeshotsava celebration that not only respects tradition but also champions sustainability by curbing the use of single-use plastic and paper items and fostering a culture of waste reduction.