Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Aug 29: The birthday of Lord Ganesha, the god of wisdom and remover of obstacles, is here. Vibrantly decorated Ganesha idols are everywhere, and hectic preparations are on for the grand celebrations that culminate with the immersion of the idols.

While most idols are made of artificial colours, plaster of paris or other stuff, here in Udupi is an idol that is out-and-out eco-friendly.

The idol is entirely made of natural substances. Seives, arecanut peels, jute ropes, giant leaves and other materials have been creatively used to sculpt the idol. The tusks are made of paper while the attire of the idol is prepared from handmade paper.

The idol has been assembled by the enterprising team of Srinath Manipal, Venky Palimar and Ravi Heerebettu.

Speaking to daijiworld, they said that the idol has been prepared with a view to stress on the need to be environment-friendly while celebrating a festival. The idol, extending 12 ft in height and 7 ft in width, took them three days to make.

The eye-catching idol adorns the premises of Sai Radha Motors showroom in Udupi. It will be on public display for five days.