Boosting the Swadeshi movement, Gauri Shankar Sewa Dal Gaushala, Sector 45-D, is preparing eco-friendly diyas and idols made out of cow dung for Diwali.
Vinod Kumar, vice-president of the Gaushala, said, “We have been making these diyas for three years and the response keeps getting better each year. This time we will prepare around 25,000 to 30,000 diyas and 5,000 idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi.”
“Earlier, houses were cleaned with cow dung and urine to purify them. Inspired by these practices, we are preparing these diyas for the festival,” he said.
These diyas and idols will be distributed for free on November 8 on the occasion of Ahoi Ashtami at the gaushala.
‘Will help in these stressful times of Covid’
Talking about the benefits of these deepaks, Kumar said, “These are being made by mixing cow dung and hawan samgri, which helps in purifying the air and spreading positive energy in the house. The tentacles of Covid have spread in every household, causing tension and stress. Hence, these lamps will have a calming effect on the mind when lighted.”
‘Idols can be later used as manure’
“The best part of the idols we are preparing is that they are eco friendly and have zero wastage. These idols can be included in the pooja and later, if you feel that their colour has faded, you can turn them into manure. For this, take a bucket of water and leave the idols in it for a day. It will turn into manure which can be used in the garden, thus maximising its use,” said Kumar.
“Same way, this diya is also eco-friendly as the whole of it will burn. In earlier times, our ancestors used to wash the utensils with ashes. You can also wash your utensils with it or use it as manure,” he said.
“This initiative is a step towards Swadeshi movement, just like our Prime Minister has emphasised the need of Vocal for Local. Instead of buying Chinese lights, one should opt for local and eco-friendly products,” he said.
“As Chandigarh is a city, there are no fields and land is not utilised for farming. We have around 1,000 cows in the gaushala and a great amount of cow dung is produced daily. This way, we are making the most of it,” he added.
