Natural Decorations

Keeping an eco-friendly idol isn't the end of it. The decorations you use matter too!

Don't use thermacol temples to keep your idol in. Thermocol is not biodegradable. Also don't think that if you use it this year you can store it and use it again. Most of the time thermocol breaks and because it is delicate it is difficult to store.

So what else can you use to make your Ganesha mandap look beautiful and yet be environmentally sensitive?

Stuff You Can Use

• Fabrics

21-Year-old Umang Prasad says that she and her family try their best to make their decorations as eco-friendly as possible. "We use a stick as support behind the idol and then drape a cloth to make a pretty mandap," says Umang. You can use pretty materials like organza and silk in bright colours.

This cloth can later be used draped casually over your couch or you can also make a formal kurti or dupattas out of it. Make sure not to use extremely light fabrics like chiffons and georgettes as they fly easily and may catch fire from the burning diya.

You can also use pretty new sarees to drape in scallops on your wall.

• Fresh Flowers

Fresh flowers have their own special charm so don't go out and buy the plastic ones for decorating the mandap. Flowers like marigolds and mogras are available everywhere and are cheap too. You can use strings of flowers to make a mandap of pretty colours.

But remember to use flowers only if you are keeping Ganesha for 3 days or less, or else the flowers will go bad. If you are using fresh flowers elsewhere, like on your doors etc, then they are easy to replace.

Also you can get a large bowl, fill it up with water and have flowers floating on top. Using carnations or marigolds in different colours will really liven up the room.

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• Banana Leaves

You can use banana leaves to make your mandap like they do in south India.

You can also dry regular leaves around two weeks before Ganpati and paint them with vibrant colours. Then string these and use them around your house. Try using vegetable colours or food colour to paint these. Remember, think environmentally friendly!

• Shells and Beads

If you have collected shells from your beach holidays over the years, you can use them for your decorations. Just strings these colourful shells and use them to decorate your walls.  These same strings can later be used on top of your curtains or to flank your door.

The best part about these is that they can be reused the next year and the year after that too!

• Beauty with Flames

Tiny yellow flames soften up the room and add beauty with its simplicity. You can use tiny diyas or candles all around the mandap. Place low tables around the room and decorate them with colourful candles.

Tip: Save the melted wax from the used candles to make more candles later. Just re-melt the wax and use tiny glass and steel bowls to make pretty candles again. To make wicks, dip thick strands of thread in wax, dry them and then place in the middle of the drying candle.