TIRUPATI, INDIA, September 2, 2019 (The Hindu): At a time when eco-friendly celebrations have become the mantra for Vinayaka Chaturthi, Tirupati has emerged as a trailblazer by going a step ahead to present recyclable statues. There are at least two huge statues in the temple town which need no immersion as they will be dismantled and distributed among the devotees after the festival. At Thummalagunta village on the city outskirts, a huge Vinayaka statue made of clay bangles is drawing the attention of the passersby. The Bala Vinayaka Committee and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Youth Association have plans to welcome the Lord of Wisdom in a novel form. They have chosen bangles as the raw material this festive season. Made of a whopping 200,000 bangles, the 30-foot Deity has become the cynosure of all eyes.
“Unlike the regular spherical shape, the Laddu placed in the palm of the Lord has been crafted in the form of Vinayaka himself. The prasadam weighing 2,460 lbs. will be distributed among the devotees on the Nimajjanam day,” a representative of the puja committee says. Another huge statue is made of dry coconut (copra). The statue is made of 375 lbs. of copra and 200 coconuts. “After the festival, the dry coconut pieces will be distributed as prasadam,” says Murali Checharla, one of the organizers. Meanwhile, clay idols are being distributed across the city by the civic authorities and charitable organisations to promote eco-friendly celebration.