Sonakshi
Sonakshi Sinha on the importance of eco-Ganesha in today’s times
As told to Upala KBR (DNA; September 24, 2015)

We used to celebrate Ganeshotsav when I was a child, but it was painful to see Bappa leave us every year, so now we have a beautiful Ganesha who lives with us permanently.

There are some wonderful childhood experiences associated with the Ganpati festival... It was always a pleasure to reunite with family for those seven days that we had Bappa at our home. We would also visit other people’s homes and see the kind of love and effort put into making Ganeshji feel at home!

I am always advocating the use of environmentally safe Ganesha idols. It’s very disheartening to see images of the beach full of disfigured idols and puja material the day after the visarjan. It’s so important to take care of our environment.

Nature is God, and there is nothing above respecting and taking care of it. Recently, there was a story about a 40-feet blue whale which had got stranded on the Alibaug beach and died as it couldn’t be rescued on time. Using eco-friendly idols can prevent more such instances from happening. We need to preserve life above as well as under water which include various kinds of marine life (plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean).

I think dna’s eco-Ganesha initiative is great. I have been encouraging my family and friends to use eco-friendly idols for years now, and I love that the newspaper has taken up this initiative to spread this message far and wide! All the best and I hope as many people join in!