1 day ago
Mayiladuthurai Artisans Prepare Eco-Friendly Ganesha Idols For 2026 Festival
Artisans in Mayiladuthurai are making Ganesha idols for the upcoming festival.
They shape the idols and then dry, paint and decorate them.
The idols come in many sizes, from small figures to about 10 feet tall.
The makers use materials such as paper pulp and tapioca flour.
They say these materials can dissolve in water and are safer for the environment.
Water-mixing paints are also used instead of paints with harmful chemicals.
People from nearby villages have begun visiting to buy the idols.
The festival season is an important source of income for the artisans.
The artisans and Hindu Makkal Katchi want Plaster of Paris idols to be restricted.
Artisans in Kanjanagaram village are completing colourful Ganesha idols for Vinayagar Chaturthi.
The idols are made from clay, paper pulp, paper dust and tapioca flour.
The workshop produces idols from about 2 feet to 10 feet, with officials enforcing a 10-foot limit.
Artisans use water-mixing paints and say Pollution Control Board officials inspect their process.
Traditional idol makers and Hindu Makkal Katchi are urging action against Plaster of Paris idols.
- Who
- Artisans at Sakthivel’s workshop, nearby buyers, and Hindu Makkal Katchi State Vice President Kumar.
- What
- Artisans are finishing and selling Ganesha idols made with materials described as environmentally friendly.
- Where
- Kanjanagaram village in Mayiladuthurai district, Tamil Nadu.
- When
- Ahead of Vinayagar Chaturthi in 2026.
- Why
- To prepare idols for festival celebrations, support the artisans’ seasonal income, and promote alternatives to Plaster of Paris idols.
Key facts
- Workshop location
- Kanjanagaram village, Tharangambadi taluk, Mayiladuthurai district
- Idol sizes
- Approximately 2 feet to 10 feet; the account also mentions production of idols up to 11 feet, while regulations limit them to 10 feet
- Materials
- Clay, paper pulp, paper dust and tapioca flour
- Paints
- Water-mixing paints that artisans say do not contain harmful chemicals
- Festival
- Vinayagar Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi
- Environmental claim
- Artisans say the idols dissolve easily in water bodies
- Official inspections
- Pollution Control Board representatives and other officials regularly inspect the manufacturing process
- Main concern
- Competition from Plaster of Paris idols
Quotes
Sakthivel
Ganesha idol designer and workshop operator in Kanjanagaram
“Tamil Nadu government should immediately monitor and ban the illegal production and sale of Plaster of Paris Ganesha idols, which pose a serious threat to the environment. Eco-friendly idols made from paper pulp and tuber starch dissolve naturally in water and should be encouraged.”
republicworld.com
“We use only the materials recommended by the government, such as paper pulp, paper dust and tapioca flour, which do not cause any harm to the environment. The idols are easily dissolvable in water bodies. They are neither very heavy nor extremely rigid.”
republicworld.com
Sources
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