At a time when eco-friendly Ganesha idols are rapidly gaining popularity among devotees, Surtis are not being left behind. Many pandals in the city have opted for idols made of fibre and similar materials this year.
Apart from soil, clay and other eco-friendly materials, idols made of fibre are being accepted by devotees and organisers. High-quality fibre and acrylic are being used to make the idols which are not only trendy but also very beautiful. Like Plaster of Paris (PoP) and clay idols, fibre idols are also hand-crafted and take three to five days to make.
"Fibre idols are extremely light and very durable. There are no chances of idols getting cracked or damaged while shifting from one place to another. Unlike PoP or clay idols where minimum seven to eight people are required to carry a large idol, only two persons are enough to carry fibre made idols," said Raman Patel, a city-based craftsman, who is an expert in making fibre idols.
Patel, who has his workshop at Mancharpura near Delhi Gate, exports idols to US, UK, Canada, Australia and other countries.
Fibre idols don't look very different from PoP or clay ones. "We decided to go for a fibre idol as it doesn't pollute water bodies because the idol doesn't dissolve in water. We have decided to immerse the idol in water and later take it out," said Vijay Kapadia, an organiser at Sarjan Society in Athwalines.
This is the first time members of the society have opted for a fibre idol. Apart from being eco-friendly themselves they also want to spread awareness about the issue.
