Ideal worship

From plastic cutlery to wrapping films around sweet boxes and polystyrene thermocol for decoration the recently notified Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021 listed several singleuse plastic items that often find their way into festive occasions such as Ganeshotsav With authorities moving to phase out these items crafting experts and a chef share handy tips to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in an ecofriendly mannerPaper chainsMethod Khemka and Podar suggest taking colourful paper or even old gift wrapping paper and cutting out strips about sixinches long and halfinch wide Turn a strip to make a loop and stick the ends together Take another coloured strip put it through the earlier loop and then stick the ends to form a chain Continue adding more loops to get the desired length Create several long chains and use them as the backdrop for the idolCrafters suggest looking at old unused household items or the garden for deacutecor ideasTea lightholderMethod Reuse your old Diwali diyas or tea lights by sticking them in the middle of an old CD Paste leaves at the back of the CD Make a paste of chandan powder to make simple patterns on the leaves for a dash of colour Place fresh flowers on alternate leaves and make a rangolistyle design the duo tells us These can be placed around the idol to add some glitterMarigold lampShruti SinghMethod Lucknowbased crafter Shruti Singh who runs the Instagram page dotsndesign points to vibrant marigolds for a lit touch to your mandap Take marigold flowers and make approximately 10inch garlands Now take a sturdy cardboard cut a circle out and paste any cloth on it or paint it Make a hole in the centre to fix a bulb Make small holes equidistant along the diameter of the circle Through each hole loop in and tie a garland Secure with a knot Plug in the bulb and your hanging marigold lamp is readyDeacutecor to DIY forPalak Podar and Khushboo KhemkaMumbaibased sisters Palak Podar and Khushboo Khemka who run a crafting and activity venture for kids called The Rainbow Tree the_rainbow_tree_creatives urge us to take inspiration from material lying unused at home such as CDs and old wrapping paper The duo who offer a DIY Ganpati mandap kit comprising a biodegradable MDF idol share that one can also look into their balcony garden for ideasFood for thoughtSabudana kheer served in dried coconut shellIn order to host guests at home for chaturthi lunch or hand out naivedyam or bhog Mumbaibased chef Reetu Uday Kugaji a culinary expert and chef consultant suggests Bhog prasad and naivedyam can be served on banana leaves jackfruit leaves or palash leaves or serveware made out of the same These leaves add a nutritional value along with their own aroma to the food One can also use patravali to avoid the use of bowls get patravali withcompartments For beverages such as tea coffee taak solkadi or sherbet and water one can use areca leaf or bamboo tumblers or kulhads Sweet treats such as tandalachi kheer banana sheera shrikhand basundi sabudana kheer and kesari phirni can be served in kulhads or clay bowls You may also serve them in disposable areca leaf bowls or clean and dried coconut shells Use fresh betel or paan leaves to serve ukadiche modaks Coconut rice and coconut ladoos can be served in clean and dried coconut shells tooChef Reetu Uday KugajiLetrsquos plant some modak magicPic courtesyUpcyclerrsquos LabEat your modak but plant it too This platform sells plantable modaks that are made of paper pulp and natural colour and contain tulsi seeds All you have to do is sow and waterLog on to upcyclerslabcomCost Rs 285 for a set of five