📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Benjamin Smith
Religion
Marcel Village's Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idol Tradition Fades
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 04 Oct 2026, 07:36 AM
👁 15
The village of Marcel, long celebrated for its biodegradable Ganesh idols, is seeing its traditional craft dwindle as fewer artisans continue the practice.
Marcel village, a small settlement that has built a reputation for producing eco‑friendly Ganesh idols, is now confronting a noticeable decline in that heritage craft. The idols, traditionally molded from natural clay and other biodegradable substances, have been a hallmark of the village’s contribution to a greener Ganesh Chaturthi celebration.
In recent years, the number of artisans skilled in the age‑old technique has dropped sharply. Younger residents are increasingly turning to alternative livelihoods, leaving the intricate, labor‑intensive process of idol making with fewer hands to carry it forward.
Local cultural groups and municipal officials have voiced concern that the fading of this practice could erode both the village’s cultural identity and its role in promoting environmentally sustainable festival customs.
In recent years, the number of artisans skilled in the age‑old technique has dropped sharply. Younger residents are increasingly turning to alternative livelihoods, leaving the intricate, labor‑intensive process of idol making with fewer hands to carry it forward.
Local cultural groups and municipal officials have voiced concern that the fading of this practice could erode both the village’s cultural identity and its role in promoting environmentally sustainable festival customs.