Pune Ganeshotsav 2026: Paper Mâché Bappa To Red Clay Idols; Pune’s Sustainable Ganpati Journey
Reported by Radhika Sharma
Pune, 15th September 2026: Ganeshotsav marks the enshrining of the Ganpati idol in homes, temples and locally organised pandals, bringing entire cities together through music, celebration, worship and tradition. In Pune, one organisation is using handmade paper and different forms of clay to create Ganpati idols as an alternative to conventional materials.
Pune Handmade Papers, an organisation under the Maharashtra State Khadi and Village Industries Board, produces Ganpati idols made from paper mache, clay and red clay, or khet ki mitti, during the Ganeshotsav season. Throughout the year, the organisation is involved in producing handmade paper and eco-friendly products using by-products from the paper-making process.
Speaking about its paper-mâché Ganpati idols, a representative of the management team said, “We provide the artists with the paper mache from our workshops. They then use 80 per cent of paper mache and 20 per cent of clay in moulding one idol. It is extremely lightweight and the main goal behind this was to create something eco-friendly and sustainable.”
The paper pulp used for the idols comes from the workshop’s handmade paper production. The organisation works with 100 per cent wood-free fibres, while pulp and leftover material from the paper-making process can be used by idol makers. The current paper-mâché idols listed by Pune Handmade Papers use 80 per cent handmade paper pulp along with 20 per cent shaadu maati and adhesive.
The organisation also makes Ganpati idols using red clay. “The red clay Ganpati is pure, so it can, after the Visarjan, be poured into plants without causing them any damage,” the representative said.
The use of clay-based idols is also part of the organisation’s wider work with materials that can return to the natural environment. However, the manner in which an idol is immersed and the local conditions can affect how quickly any material breaks down.
Pune Handmade Papers is based on the premises of the College of Agriculture in Shivajinagar and traces its history to the Handmade Paper Institute (HMPI), which was inaugurated on 1st August 1940. The institute’s history is connected to the Swadeshi movement and the development of handmade paper production in India, with Mahatma Gandhi associated with the initiative and Pune-based scientist K.B. Joshi credited with further developing the work.
The workshop has also introduced white Ganpati idols, which can be painted by the buyers themselves. “This allows idol buyers to purchase a kit of supplies with paint brushes, paints, and a palette,” the management team said.
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The white idols add another option to the organisation’s Ganpati range, while its paper-mâché and clay variants focus on changing the material used to make the idol. For Pune Handmade Papers, the seasonal production brings its year-round work with handmade paper and waste fibres into the Ganeshotsav season.
