Alwar: Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi next month, an RAS officer in Alwar has crafted eco-friendly Lord Ganesha idols from cow dung to promote sustainable celebrations and environmental conservation.Land acquisition officer (LAO), UIT Alwar, Jeetendra Singh Naruka, has made 80-100 hand-crafted idols entirely from cow dung. The idols are hand-painted to give them an attractive finish while remaining biodegradable.Unlike conventional idols, these do not require immersion after the festival. After worship, they can be placed in a flower pot, home garden or beneath a tree, where they naturally decompose and enrich the soil without polluting water bodies.Naruka said the initiative aims to encourage people to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in harmony with nature by opting for sustainable alternatives. He urged citizens to adopt eco-friendly practices during festivals to help protect the environment.He said the idea stemmed from his family’s cattle-rearing tradition. “Cow dung is considered sacred in Indian culture and has an important place in religious rituals. I wanted to use it to spread the message of environmental conservation,” he said.
