A Pune-based NGO is persuading Mumbai to opt for an eco-sensitive alternative this Ganesh Chaturthi. Pick up one of their biodegradable idols. We are sure the large-hearted elephant god would approve

Immersing our beloved deity and then having a limb or a head washed ashore the next day, only to be picked up by a dumper, seems to be a pitiful way of sending off the elephant-headed God.

This year, give a break to POP (Plaster of Paris) Ganeshas and pick up an eco-friendly idol from stores that promise to do their bit for the planet, courtesy clay and all-natural colour.

Pune-based NGO eCoexist is supplying eco-friendly Ganeshas to stores in the hope that people will opt for a smaller and cleaner version than a colossal idol that suffocates marine life through chemical colours and toxicity.

"We source the idols from Penn in Maharashtra and Sirsi in Karnataka, where artisans make biodegradable idols using naturally available clay," says Lolita Gupta from eCoexist.

Choose from a range of 15 idols, standing six to 18 inches tall, priced between Rs 375 and Rs 2,500. "The colours that we use are made from natural sources like haldi, red earth and multani mitti."

Check out a prototype of the idol you would like to order at Khar-based crafts store Dhoop. "I encourage people to immerse their idols in a bucket rather than the beach. Yet, even if you immerse these idols in the sea, they will immediately dissolve; you won't find a single detached limb the next day," says Aradhana Nagpal who runs the charming store.

We loved the 18-inch Pagdi Ganpati, looking quite astute in a turban. Though the quintessential modak is missing from the picture, you can place a real one in one of the many palms. The moulded idols from Penn are made from the red clay sourced from Maharashtra and Gujarat, while the Sirsi idols are hand-sculpted using solid natural clay found in the area.

"We do not encourage bigger idols, because in a time when water cuts abound, we can't afford to pollute our water bodies," says Gupta.u00a0

Also available are Shola garlands (Rs 100) made from a milky-white sponge wood that is similar to thermocol, natural kumkum sourced from Karnataka and made using turmeric and shola roses (Rs 5).

Log on to www.e-coexist.com to view the idols

eCoexist idols are available at:
>>Dhoop, Khar (26498646)
>>The Bombay Store, Fort (40669999), Malad (28710013), Lower Parel (24971024) or Vashi (27810581)
>>Greenway Organic Products, Peddar Road (9820562063)
>>Radhika Arora, Juhu (9821017349)
>>Suriti Culture Shop, Powai (66939777 / 97202539853)
>>Heena Choksi, Kandivali (9833664750 / 9892034750)
>>Bela Bhinde, Wadala (24036944 / 98671 94451)
>>Sprouts Earth Shop, Malad (9820140254)