Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Thane Mandal Replaces PoP Idols With Lightweight Eco-Friendly Lakshmi
A group in Thane is changing how it celebrates Navratrotsav.
For 37 years, it had used idols made from Plaster of Paris.
This year, the Kopari Young Boys Sports Mandal has registered to use an eco-friendly idol of Goddess Lakshmi.
Artisan Mangesh Pandit is making it from recycled cardboard packaging, Shadu clay and edible gum.
The idol will be 10 feet tall.
The article says it will be light enough for two people to lift.
Organisers hope this helps make more celebrations kinder to the environment.
They say eco-friendly celebrations of Ganeshotsav helped make this change possible.
The Kopari Young Boys Sports Mandal has registered to install an eco-friendly Goddess Lakshmi idol for Navratrotsav.
The move ends the mandal’s 37-year practice of installing Plaster of Paris idols.
Artisan Mangesh Pandit is making a 10-foot idol using pulverized cardboard packaging waste, Shadu clay and edible gum.
The mixture makes the idol light enough for two people to lift, according to the report.
Organisers say eco-friendly Ganeshotsav efforts helped encourage a return to sustainable materials for Navratrotsav.
- Who
- The Kopari Young Boys Sports Mandal and artisan Mangesh Pandit.
- What
- The mandal has registered to install a 10-foot eco-friendly Goddess Lakshmi idol, ending its 37-year practice of using Plaster of Paris idols.
- When
- For Navratrotsav in 2026; the report is dated October 9, 2026.
- Where
- Thane, Maharashtra, India.
- Why
- Organisers aim to make public festival celebrations more environmentally friendly without sacrificing the idol’s scale or convenience.
- Festival
- Navratrotsav
- Organising group
- Kopari Young Boys Sports Mandal
- Idol subject
- Goddess Lakshmi seated on elephants
- Idol height
- 10 feet
- Materials
- Pulverized cardboard packaging waste, Shadu clay and edible gum (dink)
- Previous practice
- The mandal had used Plaster of Paris idols for 37 years.
- Reported lifting capacity
- The idol can be lifted by two people, according to the article.