As the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations begin, it’s time again for our favourite Ganapathy Bappa to come home and bless us with wisdom and prosperity. The revered deity is the son of Shiva and Parvathy. The single-tusked, huge-bellied Lord Ganesh, with the face of an elephant, resembles a cute, cuddly, friendly figure. The 10-day festival is soaked in joyfulness and overflows with fun and frolic. The air carries the fragrance of good food, flower decorations, and perfumed incense.
The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is marked by bright colours and aesthetically decorated mandaps. Any city lights up with devotional songs, reverberating sound of drums, dhols and nagadas, and people dancing to show their love for the Lord. The festival ends with the immersion of the idol and with the promise that next year again, Bappa would have to come to bless them with an abundance of health, wealth, and prosperity.
Every house brings the idol of Ganesha with lots of love and respect. The idol is placed on a well-decorated mandap. In today’s world, people opt for sustainable and eco-friendly decorations. Even the idols are preferred as eco-friendly ones that cause no or less harm to nature. Few sustainable decorations are put together to make the festival a happy one for all.
Leaf decorations
Banana trees are always considered as sacred by Hindus, their leaves along with mango leaves are perfect for your home. Decorating the mandap with leaves is not only eco-friendly but also pocket-friendly. Set up a low flat platform for the idol to be placed. Flank the platform with small pots of flowering plants or decorative indoor non-flowering plants. Banana leaves can be cut into halves horizontally and strung together to form a toran. Many torans can be made and tied one below the other to form a beautiful cascading green backdrop. If one does not feel like cutting the leaf in half, use the complete leaf. They can be tied together and hung in the background of the idol.
Brick decorations
Bricks and stones are another economical and sustainable decorating option that can easily be done. A step or wall of bricks can be made decorated with diyas, fruits, and flowers. This is perfect for vacant spaces to give an aesthetic look to your idol. The idol can be surrounded by plants or a mini fountain that is at home. Marble blocks can also be used if you want your formation to look even more aesthetically pleasing. Drape these formations with silk cloth or flowers to add colour and vibrancy.
Sari and dupatta decorations
One can revamp the wardrobe and bring out old traditional saris. Saris of mothers, mothers-in-law, or gifted ones can be put in use to create a vibrant, colourful, and royal backdrop. Embroidered and heavy dupattas can also be brought to use in the most creative form. Tie up a string and let the sarees fall creating a beautiful curtain or tie them all together to drape the room. Heavy silk sarees work as well as they do not sway like the lighter ones. Traditional Kanjeevarams, Paithanis, Banarasis, or Patolas can adorn the backdrop. The sides of the platform on which the idol sits can have smaller frames of heavy dupattas. Frames can be made of various sizes. On these frames, dupattas can be tied innovatively and the frames can be placed to form an alluring dome over the idol.
Floating diyas and flowers
Another beautiful setup is to keep large copper or bronze vessels with floating diyas and flowers. This graceful decoration catches the light beautifully and fills the room with vibrance and warmth. Use scented oils and little candles to fill your abode with a sweet fragrance. Sprinkle petals and flowers around your floating diyas to add a splash of colour. These will beautifully compliment your mandap and add natural beauty to its aura.
Flower garlands and rangolis
Decoration of the home is best done with simple yet elegant things. Flowers always come handy for decorating as they add, not just their beauty, but also their essence. A simple flower rangoli with symmetrical patterns or a Ganesh design is always striking. A rangoli at the entrance and near the mandap, where the idol is placed, not only welcomes the guests but also imbues the atmosphere with positive vibes.
Strings of marigold or rose or jasmine or even lilies tied on a particular theme are attractive and soothing to the eyes. If one feels that the fragrance of the flowers is overpowering, then small bunches of flowers can be hung in bottles. One can take different sizes of bottles and tie them one after the other, with some space between. They can be hung vertically to create a hanging decor item. A wall with just bottles of flowers and greens is quite appealing.
Ganesh Chathurthi is generally celebrated in the best part of the year when rains have cooled the heated earth. The scorching sun seems to be mellow and bright yellow, and nature brings out its best with vibrant hues of blooms, luminous greens, and rainbow-like fruits and vegetables. So, this Ganesh Chathurthi beauty you home with nature’s bounty.
Here are few more decoration ideas.
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