EXCLUSIVE! Sonu Sood Opens Up On Clay Ganapati Idols To Keep The Environment Clean; Says, ‘It’s A Graceful Way To Bid Adieu To Ganpati Bappa’

You’ve been in Mumbai for so many years now. What’s your first memory of the city’s Ganapati festival?

Hailing from Punjab, I didn’t know much about the festival. Whatever I knew about it was based on what I saw in Hindi films but, when I witnessed the festival in Mumbai, it was something else. It’s an experience that gets to you, the sheer scale of celebrations, the pandals, the way people from all corners of this maximum city pour into celebrations and the exuberance blanketing the atmosphere. It was very overwhelming.

You’ve been bringing the Lord to your home every year now. When did you start and what prompted this decision to start celebrating Ganapati at home?

It all started 22 years back. I would say it’s the city of Mumbai which opened up this new world of Bappa to me. That’s when my wife Sonali and I decided to bring Bappa home. I still remember going to Vile Parle station on my bike to bring an 8 inch tall idol of Bappa to our home. We did all the preparation with regards to the accessories by midnight. Initially, we were not aware of the kind of rituals to perform. However, slowly, over the years, we learnt it all.

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Every year we see so many half-decayed Ganapati idols at the beaches around Mumbai. How would you try to curb that beach pollution?

I think eco-friendly Ganesha idols help us to a great extent. Clay idols keep the environment clean and it’s a graceful way to bid adieu to Bappa compared to those idols which wash up ashore leaving a heartbreaking sight behind.

What would your message be to people who’re still not into buying eco-friendly Ganesha idols?

People must realize that this is Bappa’s answer to the mounting ecological problems. He wants us to do our bit and what better way to achieve this with his idols being the perfect carriers of his message. God resides in clean places and we must ensure to keep the surroundings clean to feel his presence around us.