Impact of festivals on environment: a case study of ganesh festival in india

The purpose of this paper is to study the origin and celebration of Ganesh festival in India as well as outside India and to assess the impact of Ganesh festival on environment and indispensability of eco-friendly Ganesh festival in India. The celebration of Ganesh festival has changed in terms of its scale as well as involvement of the people. About 80 per cent of India's 1.1 billion populations are Hindus. In recent years, their religious festivals and customs have come under increasing scrutiny as public awareness of environmental issues grows. The activities of the Ganesh festival cause the concerns in terms of water pollution, air pollution and noise pollution.

The scope of this study is confined to the celebration of Ganesh festival in India. The present study is based on secondary data. The data and literature are used to assess the impact of Ganesh festival on water pollution, noise pollution and air pollution. The data were sought from various reference books, journals, newspapers, published and unpublished reports, internet, etc.

The most serious impact of the Ganesh festival on the natural environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris into lakes, rivers and the sea. The noise levels in all the cities of Maharashtra were exceeding the permissible limit during the Ganesh festival. In spite of legal standards in place and efforts of the regulatory agencies, the noise levels could not be controlled under the permissible limit.

Hindus across India celebrate various religious festivals throughout the year. Elaborately painted and decorated idols are worshipped before they are taken during mass processions to rivers, lakes and the sea, where they are immersed in accordance with Hindu faith. However, the research is limited only for the celebration of Ganesh festival.

The Ganesh festival is not only celebrated in India but also celebrated in the US, Singapore, Britain, Canada, Hague, Netherlands and other parts of the world. This paper assesses the impact of Ganesh festival on environment. This paper also provides managerial functions in managing eco-friendly Ganesh festival. It is useful for Ganesh mandals (group of people) whop celebrate Ganesh festival across the world.

This paper creates awareness among the people regarding eco-friendly Ganesh festival. It bridges the gap between traditional management and eco-friendly management of Ganesh festival.