Mangaluru: With the festival season approaching, a community-driven campaign is encouraging devotees to celebrate Nagara Panchami without single-use plastic. The initiative draws on the festival’s close association with nature worship. Organisers said thousands of plastic bags are typically used to carry offerings and distribute ‘thambila prasada’, an integral part of Naga Panchami rituals.By linking environmental responsibility with devotion, the campaign seeks to bring about a change in public habits. The initiative is being led by Sri Ambamaheshwari Seva trust under the banner ‘Awake Kudla’.General secretary of the trust Umanath Kotekar said “Naga Panchami is essentially a celebration of nature. People connect to the environment through devotion.” The campaign is being implemented primarily in the model wards of Mangaladevi, Hoige Bazaar and Bolar, as well as at prominent temples in the city. The organisers have also sought the support of Mangaluru City South MLA D Vedavyas Kamath to expand its reach.Campaign coordinator Puneeth Poojary said, a five-member team has been deployed at various places of worship to coordinate the initiative. Volunteers are distributing brochures to temple managements and circulating digital appeals through WhatsApp groups and social media platforms ahead of the festival.Devotees are being urged to carry cloth bags and steel containers instead of plastic bags and bottles. Temple priests and organisers are also being requested to distribute prasada directly into devotees’ hands if they do not bring reusable containers.The trust hopes to extend this campaign to Ganesh Chaturthi and Dasara. The Trust has been actively involved in community-focused initiatives related to education, healthcare, environmental conservation, and employment generation.
