Pollution is not just affecting humans, but Gods too. In Dombivli, one of the suburbs of Mumbai, a Ganpati placed inside a pandal has turned black due to extreme pollution. The bright colours of the idol have been fading since the first day but it has turned completely black. Om Sai Mitra Mandal established by Tukaram Chaukhanjik of Dawdi village organises the Ganpati pandal every year. The board has been celebrating Ganeshotsav for the past 11 years.

According to a report in Lokmat, Mandal President Dinesh Yadav said he brought two Ganpati idols, a bigger one and a smaller one on September 10. As the decorations were being carried out inside the pandal, he did not remove the plastic cover from it. On Ganesh Chaturthi, the cover was removed and after some hours the colour of the idol became dull. By the next day, the face and hands of the idol which were painted in fair skin colour turned black by the fifth day. Ganesh Chaturthi 2018 Goes Green: From Chocolate to Ganesha With Banana Flowers, These Eco-Friendly Ganpati Idols Are a Treat to Devotees

Yadav then narrated the incident to the artist who painted the idol. Santosh Panerkar then came to the pandal and painted the idol again in fresh colours. But within 24 hours, the idol was back to black. Small Ganpati idols placed in front of the big idol has also similarly lost its original colour and turned black. People are of the opinion that pollution has resulted in the idols turning black.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2018 06:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).