ANIMATED MAPS & POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS

GANESHA CHATURTHI - HOLY CONTRADICTIONS

Since September 5, the Hindu festival of Ganesha Chaturthi has been in full swing everywhere in Hyderabad – in homes, housing complexes, and public spaces. In Hyderabad, this popular festival has turned into a frenzied competition of how high one can possibly make the statues of the elephant–headed Hindu god Ganesh.  Apparently, this year the tallest Ganesh idol is the 60-foot high statue in the district of Khairatabad – still within the height limit of 21 meters which has been decreed by the city. 60-Foot Ganesh Idol in Khairatabad

Curious about the festival, I went online to educate myself a bit and came across an interesting perspective on the symbolism of immersing clay idols of Ganesh in bodies of water. Let me quote my source at some length:

“Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations end with the immersion (or Visarjan) of the clay Ganapati idol in water. Hindus worship Brahman (or the Supreme Soul) present in all animate and inanimate. But for the majority of people, it is not possible to worship this formlessness. They need a form to pray to, to seek help, to cry and to take blessings. […] 

Clay and water are mixed to give form to the formlessness. Each person brings Ganesha in clay idol form into the home. This is the Supreme Being arriving at home. After the celebrations, it is time to accept the eternal cosmic law that which took form has to become formless again. It is a never ending cycle. 

The formlessness giving way to form and then moving again towards formlessness. Each year, Ganesha arrives to teach us that forms change but the Supreme Truth remains the same. The body perishes but Brahman residing in it remains constant. This body becomes energy for another but the source of energy is the same. Bliss is achieved when we realize this. 

The act also symbolizes the concept of Moksha, or liberation, in Hinduism – no clinging, not even to gods. Thus we create Ganesha out of clay, worship it, and later it is submerged (Visarjan).”

I soon also heard about the environmental controversies surrounding this festival. While the Ganesha statues were originally made from clay and returned to the earth to become clay again, many of the present-day statues are made from Plaster of Paris (because it is lighter, easier to mold, and to mass-produce).  When Plaster of Paris is dissolved in water, according to an article in India Today, the result is harmful to the environment:

• “Plaster of Paris idols may take anywhere between several months to years to fully dissolve
• It also reduces the oxygen level in the water, killing the fish and other aquatic organisms
• The paints contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which seep into the water as the idol dissolves
• The acid content in the waters increases
• Idols made using plastic, cement, etc. do not dissolve in the water; thus polluting the water
• Several accessories used during the festival like plastic flowers, cloth, incense, camphor and numerous other materials are dumped carelessly adding more strain to the already polluted rivers and lakes
• Careless dumping of Ganesh idols in water bodies blocks the natural flow of water which results in breeding of mosquitoes and other harmful pests
• The polluted water causes several diseases including skin diseases”

The same online article also makes suggestions towards alternative practices:

• Use eco-friendly idols made from clay which completely dissolves in water.
• Immerse idols in a small tank, instead of lakes and rivers to reduce the water pollution.
• Decorate idols with garlands, turmeric, and leaf paste instead of potentially poisonous paint.
• Reuse the same idol every year.

While the largest immersion sites will be too crowded for me to visit safely (especially at the city's centrally located lake, Hussain Sagar), I took some photos at nearby lakes and ponds. It is striking how instruments of devotion sit in ponds, surrounded by the waste of the offerings made to them – eggs, flowers, coconuts.  Slowly dissolving in the water they idols add to the general garbage and pollution, yet provide food for birds, insects, and rodents. Beauty and ugliness, the sublime and the crude are never far from each other – even (or especially?) in matters of faith.

2015 Ganesh Immersion at Hussain Sagar

Ganesh Immersion Site at Pond in Rajendra Nagar

Ganesh Immersion Site at Pond in Rajendra Nagar

Banner, Advertising Ganesha Immersion Services

Remains of a Clay Idol 

Decapitated Idol on Our Street

Immersion Site at Our Neighborhood Pond

Same Site, but Now with "Worship Garbage"

Rat Feasting on the Leftovers, Partially Disintegrated Eco-Friendly Ganesha Statue

CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION & PEACE BUILDING

Banner for 2016 HMI Conflict Transformation Conference

Here's an example of the "Praxis" part of the work of Henry Martyn Institute (HMI).

HMI has separate staff who work in 2 areas: Community Development (CD) and Conflict Transformation (CT).

The CD staff works locally and in other parts of the state and of India doing more traditional development work - education, coastal restoration, and health/hygiene - but with a special focus on serving communities that (because of their poverty) are more vulnerable to religious conflict, for example in the colonies of the Old City of Hyderabad.

The CT staff works with NGOs from around the country to develop materials that can be used for conflict resolution - training manuals for workshops, calendars with quotes from a wide range of religious and other leaders from around the world.

The CT team is hosting 2 back-to-back conferences. This week is the first of two (see picture). The purpose is to create a training resource ("manual") that will serve a wide range of organizations in their efforts to help communities heal after acts of religious violence and/or prevent such violence in the future.

While I have no expertise at all in this area, I have offered to proofread the product before it goes to print. Lesson (re)learnt? Every person's unique gifts matter, everybody has something to contribute.

I am curious to see the outcome and wonder what other lessons I can learn from the process and from the manual's content that may be useful to share with my non-India friends. I'll keep you updated.