The festive rush has returned to Bengaluru's old pottery quarters, but an uncomfortable question hangs over the rows of freshly painted Ganesha idols: clay or Plaster of Paris? The State government, NGOs and environmental activists are urging citizens to bring home eco-friendly Ganeshas this Ganesh Chaturthi — yet idol makers and sellers say customers still prefer coloured Ganeshas for celebrations at home and PoP idols for pandal festivities.

Key facts

  • Ganesha idols have been made and sold at Pottery Town, Mavalli and Seshadripuram in large numbers for more than five decades.
  • Sellers say buyers still prefer coloured and PoP Ganeshas over plain, handmade clay ones.
  • A small load of clay now costs ₹12,000, as clay around the city's lakes has disappeared.
  • Authorities inspected 214 shops and warehouses and confiscated 1,283 PoP idols across 13 districts.

A fourth-generation potter's uneasy choice

At Pottery Town, Shashikumar, a fourth-generation member of the Kumbara community, admits his family no longer makes its own idols. "Earlier, our family used to prepare Ganesha idols, but due to space constraints as well as a lack of availability of clay and skilled labour, I now buy idols from makers in Hosur," he said. "While I understand that PoP idols are harmful to the environment, many customers prefer buying them, and at the same time, idol makers invest crores in making them."

His message to the government is about timing as much as rules.

"If the government has to create awareness and stop PoP idols from coming into the market, then they must start creating awareness as early as November, almost immediately after the festival. It is at this time that makers invest money in materials and labour to make idols. Creating awareness at the last minute doesn't help, as these idols would have already entered the market."

Size is another hurdle: idols six to 12 feet tall cannot be built from clay, he explained — they turn out too heavy to lift and too difficult to structure, so all large idols are made of PoP and paper. Plaster is also faster. PoP moulds easily into designs and shapes, dries within six hours and can be spray-painted immediately, while clay idols must be prepared three months in advance so they dry well enough to be painted later.

The economics of going green

Govardhan, another member of the Kumbara community, puts the imbalance in stark terms. "There are only 200 such families traditionally buying clay idols from my shop. If I make a larger number of eco-friendly idols, I will suffer a loss," he said, explaining why coloured idols outnumber handmade, plain ones on his shelves.

Sourcing clay has become its own struggle. What was once available in and around the city's lakes must now be bought from Bagalur Road, Hoskote and beyond — a small load costs ₹12,000. On paints, Govardhan insists things have improved: "Earlier, we used oil paint, but that was poisonous to water bodies. Now, we use water paint, which is chemical-free."

Nandeesh from Bettahalsuru, who works exclusively on eco-friendly idols, is not convinced. "Idol makers claim that these water paints are not harmful. But they do contain chemicals and leave residue in water," he said. To protect water bodies, he makes only plain clay idols, limiting himself to 1.5-foot pieces priced between ₹50 and ₹500 — even though plain idols are supposed to fetch higher prices than coloured ones.

The State steps in

Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Ramalinga Reddy has announced a Special Operation Team to prevent the manufacturing and sale of PoP Ganesha idols, assisted by the local police and other departments. The team inspected 214 shops and warehouses in Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Bagalkot, Haveri, Gadag, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Yadgir, Ballari, Koppal, Raichur and Vijayanagara districts, where idols were being manufactured without following the guidelines, and confiscated 1,283 of them. His appeal to the public was simple: buy eco-friendly idols for the festival — and save the lakes.