INDIA, December 21, 2015 (ARC World): The Bhumi Project and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation have created a wonderful new Green Hindu Temples Guide: a beautifully-designed resource, first published in December 2015, on how to make your temple or ashram greener and better and more Hindu in its relationship with the world around it. It contains inspiring sections on teaching, recycling, energy, food and protecting wild animals. For each section it includes both environmental and Hindu reasons for making changes, as well as helpful lists and action points. Including: 1) Create eco-themed sermons and celebrations: add statements, prayers, meditations, songs about caring for nature. 2) Center your celebrations around environmental themes and on special days such as Earth Day and around the annual Hindu Environment Week in February. 3) Make sure waste is disposed of effectively at all your festivals. Make this part of the early planning rather than something thought of at the end.
For the full list of what your temple can do to make worship, pujas and celebrations greener, see:
http://www.arcworld.org/news62ab.html?pageID=803
Download the guide here: https://www.greenpilgrimageeurope.net/uploads/9/5/2/2/95225216/green_hindu_temples_guide.pdf