Tree Ganesha is made from red soil and organic fertiliser with seeds at its base
He's a creative director with a leading ad agency, but it's his environment friendly creation that's been the talk of town. So much so that Dattadri Kothur, Founder and Creator of Tree Ganesha, has been flooded with queries and orders not just from Mumbai, but from Surat, Bengaluru and even Dubai and the United States.
He's come up with the concept of Tree Ganesha, an eco-friendly Ganesh idol, made from red soil and organic fertiliser with seeds at its base. It needs no immersion, just use water and the idol disintegrates into the soil that's nurtures the seeds.
"When we made the video of the Tree Ganesha to share on social media, all we wanted was a few thousand views. I hadn't imagined so many would be interested in it. It's got over a million views and I've got more than 5000 orders. We had to stop taking orders in just three days of putting up the video," said Dattadri Kothur.
In fact, Mr Kothur had to turn away many who were interested. "I've managed to make only 400 plus orders," he said. But some of the Tree Ganesha's have gone as far as Dubai.
Saurabh Srivastav, who came with his son to Mr Kothur's workshop to pick up a Tree Ganesha said, "We have stayed abroad for the last six years. It is my first year in Mumbai and as much as I want my son to learn about our culture and traditions, I also want him to understand the importance of the environment. This eco-friendly idol does both."
Himani Somani, who stays in suburban Mulund, was lucky as there was a last minute cancellation. "I had tried to place an order but was told they have stopped taking orders. What I like about the concept is that even after the festival is over, a part of Ganesha will stay with you, in a different form."