Ludhiana-based hotelier creates eco-friendly, chocolate Ganpati for underprivileged kids

NEW DELHI: It is that time of the year when Ganesh Chaturthi, the birth of Lord Ganesha, is being celebrated across India with colourful processions, prayers, food, and community activities for up to ten days.

Environmentalists, over the years, have expressed concern over water pollution during the immersion of the idol. But a Punjab-based restaurateur has come up with a unique solution to curb water pollution during Ganpati Visarjan.

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#ChocolateGanesha This is our 3rd consecutive year of the #ChocolateGanpati ! It took a team of 20 chefs, 10 days and 65 Kgs Belgian Chocolate to make this #ChocoBappa #chocolateganesh #Sikh #ganeshchaturthi #ganpatibappamorya #ganeshutsav

A post shared by Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@harjinderkukreja) on Sep 13, 2018 at 3:51am PDT

Harjinder Singh Kukreja, a restaurateur in Ludhiana, has been preparing edible Ganpati idol for three years now. In a telephonic interaction, Kukreja said, the idol, weighing 65 kgs, put on display at his restaurant is made of imported Belgian chocolate.


"A special edible colour was also imported from Italy to mark the ornaments of the idol,” Kukreja said.

The idol of Ganesha is a result of the efforts of 20 chefs who created it in ten days. When asked about the cost, Kukreja maintained that the chocolate statue of Ganesha is not for sale.

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#ChocolateGanesha This is our 3rd consecutive year of the #ChocolateGanpati ! It took a team of 20 chefs, 10 days and 65 Kgs Belgian Chocolate to make this #ChocoBappa #chocolateganesh

A post shared by Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@harjinderkukreja) on Sep 13, 2018 at 2:51am PDT

However, the rough spend to make the idol would be around Rs 1 lakh, which includes the cost of imported chocolate, colour, and the labour charge.

Over the past few years, more people, including celebrities, are opting for eco-friendly idols in order to protect the environment. On being asked about celebrating the festival in Punjab, Kukreja said, "We love Ganpati Bappa. He is the God of good beginnings and brings good luck. We want to spread the idea of an eco-friendly celebration more than communal harmony".

The chocolate Ganpati is not only eco-friendly, but also serves another wonderful purpose. Instead of a regular visarjan, the restaurateur has decided to immerse the idol in a vessel of milk. He, then, plans to distributed the chocolate milkshake among underprivileged children.