Sacred disposal drive collects 5k deity photos

Mangaluru: In a unique blend of faith and environmental responsibility, the ‘Visarjane' campaign led by the Ramakrishna Mission Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan has collected about 5,000 photos of deities for safe and respectful disposal till Tuesday.The Ramakrishna Math, in association with MRPL and supported by the Swacch Mangaluru Prathishtana, conducted the initiative from March 16 to 26. The campaign received an overwhelming response from the public. Ramakrishna Mission Swacch Mangaluru Campaign coordinator Ranjan Bellarpady said that the turnout exceeded expectations, with a majority of the religious waste being collected through drop boxes placed at Kadri Temple and Mangaladevi Temple, among five locations across the city.Interestingly, around 20 different types of religious waste including clothes, mantaps, religious books, CDs, statues and vessels were gathered during the drive. All collected materials from the centres will be transported to the Kadri Temple premises, where they will be safely stored before processing, scheduled to begin next week.Before disposal, temple priests will conduct an ‘Udvasana Puja' as a mark of respect. Volunteers will then segregate the materials—paper-based deity images will be immersed in water and later placed in a designated pit within the temple garden, where a tulsi plant will be planted as a sacred symbol.Items made of wood, glass, and metal will be sorted separately. Recyclable materials will be sent to recycling units, while non-recyclables will be disposed of through co-processing in cement factories. "Encouraged by the response, we plan to extend the campaign to Bantwal, Puttur, and Udupi. The campaign will pause during the monsoon months from June to Aug. The Ramakrishna Mutt is also considering setting up a permanent collection booth for religious waste in the future," he said.