Kasba Ganpati turns green: Pune sculptor crafts idol from patented eco-friendly material

The mixture comprises 65 per cent aluminium oil, 25 per cent shadu maati and 10 per cent rice bran and is known as Ravindra Mixture after the sculptor’s father. “Advocate Gauri Bhave played an important role in securing the patent for the material,” said Dhondphale. “This material reduces pollution and protects water, setting a benchmark for responsible festivities,” said Shrikant Shete, President of Kasba Ganpati Mandal.

One of the concerns of Ganeshotsav is the massive pollution from conventional idols made of Plaster of Paris and toxic chemical colours. Last year, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board released data from 2019-2023 to show that water pollution in the rivers of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad rose dangerously during the festival.

“Already there is a lot of environmental impact taking place due to air pollution, noise pollution and so on during festivities. Thinking about this, it’s a good and mindful step to make a Ganapati out of eco-friendly products,” said Uttara Raj, a student of Fergusson College.