With the arrival of Ganesh Chaturthi, the excitement to welcome Lord Ganesha into our homes grows. It’s a time of celebration, bonding, and expressing gratitude toward humanity. More importantly, it’s an opportunity to celebrate with environmental consciousness.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the need to be environmentally conscious during festivals like Ganeshotsav. Many people are transitioning from traditional POP Ganpati idols to those made with Shadu mati, an eco-friendly alternative. However, environmentalists have observed that Shadu mati often settles on riverbeds, obstructing the breathability of the riverbed.
This year, consider a unique way to celebrate an eco-friendly Ganeshotsav – by painting your own ‘Papermâché Bappa’ and making a difference in the process. Every ‘Papermâché Bappa’ you paint provides an opportunity for an underprivileged child to paint their own idol and take it home.
Shobhana Hadap, Principal Designer of Pune Handmade Papers, explains, “Our ‘Papermâché Bappa’ is a perfect solution to this as it dissolves in water faster, and even the paints we use are organic and water-soluble, making it the best environmentally sustainable option.”
These ‘Papermâché Bappa’ idols are crafted with the assistance of experienced local artisans who have honed their skills in Ganesh idol molding over the years. They are composed of 80% cotton paper pulp, 20% Shaadu Maati, and a small portion of natural clay. The paper pulp used is tree-free and made from recycled cotton rags, which can be further recycled after immersion. These idols are lightweight, less fragile, and can be easily painted with non-toxic water-based colors, making them the preferred choice of environmentally conscious citizens.
This year, Pune Handmade Papers, in collaboration with Art Foundation Pune, is organizing workshops on painting ‘Papermâché Bappa.’ What’s more, the initiative aims to spread joy to underprivileged children. For every registration, one disadvantaged child gets the opportunity to paint and take home their own ‘Papermâché Bappa.’ Corporates can also register for these workshops as part of their CSR activities.
Individual registrations are priced at Rs. 899/-, while group bookings for Corporate CSR are available at Rs. 999/- per person. The workshops will be held at Pune Handmade Papers in Shivajinagar until September 16, 2023, daily from 3 pm to 6 pm. Participants will receive guidance from expert artists from the Art Pune Foundation.
In collaboration with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), this initiative will cover 30 corporation schools, providing over 3,000 children with the opportunity to paint and take home their ‘Papermâché Bappa’ absolutely free.
Besides this significant initiative, the Pune Handmade Papers store will be open daily for bookings of traditional Pen Shaadu Maati and larger colored Papermâché Ganpati idols. This Ganeshotsav, let’s paint for a cause and empower underprivileged children with the joy of creating their own ‘Papermâché Bappa.’
