Chennai/Aurangabad, Aug 22 (ANI): The artists across the country are giving shape to eco-friendly idols of Lord Ganesha, prior to ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’.

The demand for Lord Ganesha idols is on the rise as the festival begins from Sunday.Therefore, the artists in Chennai are giving final touches to the Ganesha idols. They are making idols out of clay and Papier Mache instead of Plaster of Paris.

Usually made of Plaster of Paris and adorned with glittering clothes, tons of artificial jewellery and harmful chemical paint, the idols take long to dissolve resulting in the death of aquatic life.

At Kosapet in Chennai, the families which are involved in making the idols are strictly following the court’s order to make idols only out of dissolving materials and not the usual Plaster of Paris.

“The court has ordered us to make idols that dissolve easily in water. So, we are following the court’s order. We are making idols out of clay as well as with the food materials and papers. We are not using Plaster of Paris,” said Ashwin Kumar, an idol sculptor.

Meanwhile, members of a charitable trust, Anirudh Upasana Trust, in Aurungabad, have also come up with eco-friendly idols through Papier Mache paste.

People belonging to all age group are enthusiastically making the eco-friendly idols by melting bits of paper.

“These idols are environment friendly as these are not made from the Plaster of Paris but by melting the chits of paper,” said Mahesh Balser, an idol sculptor.

Environmentalists hope that with eco-friendly idols that are expected to become popular, pollution of environment on this account would be largely checked.

The idol of the deity holds special significance in the celebrations. It is installed on the first day of the 10-day festival.

People visit the places to worship the deity and witness cultural events all through the festival.

The celebrations end with the immersion of the idol in to sea or rivers. (ANI)