Vaishno Devi : Floral offerings to be turned into incense

Devinder Thakur

Katra, January 19

Offering flowers at shrines is a religious ritual as they are considered a symbol of devotion and reverence. To respect their sanctity, flowers are mostly discarded in rivers, thus causing a devastating effect on the ecosystem of water bodies.

Keeping this in mind, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has begun a start-up to recycle flowers offered at the shrine and turn them into incense sticks.

Additional Chief Executive Officer, shrine board, Anshul Garg said the board was working on innovative clean technologies to save the environment by effective recycling and reuse of waste. In addition, it provides a source of income to unemployed women, Garg said. He said the board had decided to use flowers offered and used in decorating the shrine for preparing incense sticks. He said this would provide employment to women in nearby villages. He said the project at present was in its initial stage. “We are working over it,” he said.

President, Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, Rakesh Wazir said the reuse and recycle of floral waste would not only help in cleaning the area but would also provide employment to women from low-income groups. “We welcome the shrine board initiative,” Wazir said.