Bhubaneswar, Sept. 20: Tree lovers in Bhubaneswar City worshiped Green Ganesha on Tuesday on the occasion of Ganesha Puja.
In view of creating mass awareness on afforestation and curbing water pollution in water bodies, the volunteers of Bakul Foundation performed the Ganesh Puja by worshiping a green tree as Lord Ganesha here in Bhubaneswar.
The volunteers of the Bakul Foundation along with the local youths and students, decorated a Bakula(Baula) tree as Shree Ganesh and offered Bhogs and bouquets of flowers along with Vedic verses. With inspiration from the age-old practice of worshipping trees in India, the youngsters adopted the practice and organised an innovative form of the eco-friendly Ganesha Puja.
Apart from the wooden statue of Lord Ganesha, the Bahana(Carrier) of the Lord, the mouse was made out of a painted coconut. The ears were made of bamboo baskets(Kulas). Similarly, the pink cladding and turban of the Lord were prepared from cotton and leaves whereas his eyes were made of rice and mustard seeds with pulses.
A tree inside Biju Patnaik Park in the Forest Park Area was chosen as the Wooden God, as it was close to the Park Library set up by Bakul Foundation with the support of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) inside the Park. Bhubaneswar Development Authority Vice-Chairman Balwant Singh and other officers of BDA, Sujit Mahapatra, Founder of Bakul Foundation and other volunteers of Bakul, morning walkers and visitors participated in the Puja. In an attempt to involve children an Art Exhibition in the Park Library by children on Green Ganesha was organised.
Sujit Mahapatra, Founder and Volunteer of Bakul Foundation said “It is ironic that trees are often considered obstacles in the path of progress. So, by worshipping a tree as Lord Ganesh, the Bighnaraj, the remover of all obstacles, we are trying to change that mindset. The problem with our society is we have lost a relationship with trees. That’s why we need to worship trees once again.”
The rains would do a natural visarjan of the Lord Ganesh, and there would not be any pollution of water bodies with the immersion of the idols filled with chemicals. Since it was a tree that was the Lord, his prasad was also saplings that were given to the worshippers. Mahapatra added.
