The festival of Ganeshotsav sees a lot of enthusiastic participation from all the believers. Just as the Ganpati idol is brought in much fanfare, the immersion process sees even more participation. There is song and dance as the Ganpati idols are taken to the sea or lakes for the final goodbye. While there is a lot of commotion and a rising concern for the environment, a Ganpati idol in Ludhiana saw a unique immersion process. A 65-kg chocolate Ganpati made by Sikh restaurateur Harjinder Singh Kukreja was immersed in milk. The resultant chocolate milkshake was then served to over a hundred underprivileged children from the slum areas. This is the third year, they have made a chocolate Ganpati and their tradition continues. From Chocolate to Ganesha With Banana Flowers, These Eco-Friendly Ganpati Idols Are a Treat to Devotees.

The Ganpati idol was made from pure Belgian chocolate by Harjinder who runs a cafe called ‘Belfrance’. The cafe is known for delicacies made out of Belgium-imported pure dark chocolate. This year they made a Ganpati idol weighing almost 65 kgs from chocolate, with a good afterthought about the immersion. It took about 20 chefs to create this idol over a period of 10 days. There were chocolate flowers and cubes kept alongside the idol for the decoration. The immersion process of this huge idol was not an easy task. They required 100-litres of milk to properly immerse it. The chocolate milkshake was then distributed as the visrajan prasad to underprivileged children from the slum settlements. Ganeshotsav 2018: Sachin Tendulkar Performs Ganpati Visarjan at Home, Urges Fans to Go Eco-Friendly in This Video. 

Take a look at the Chocolate Ganesha made by the bakers:

Talking about their Ganpati celebrations Kukreja was quoted to the Indian Express, "More than communal harmony, it is about celebrating festivals in eco-friendly way so that our water bodies and environment as whole is not affected. The happiness that we saw today on faces of poor children was unmatched. They gulped chocolate milkshake in one go and asked for more servings. Nothing can match this feeling of happiness and satisfaction. For them, chocolate milkshake is not something that they can have daily or demand from their parents. It was a rare happiness for them to relish chocolate milkshake." Ganesh Chaturthi 2018: Bengaluru’s Sri Satya Ganpati Trust Makes Eco-Friendly Ganesh Idol With 5 Tons of Sugarcane. 

The bakery owners had to give out a positive message of zero wastage and no damage to the environment. Belonging to the Sikh community, they always prioritise on reducing hunger. And it was a very good way of not just seeking blessings from the Lord, but also the goodwill from the children and their families, as well as giving out a strong positive message to everyone.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2018 09:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).