Gaushala to offer 88,000 cow dung diyas this Diwali

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, September 26

Taking a lead in promoting eco-friendly Diwali, the Sector 45-based gaushala will offer tastefully crafted 88,000 diyas made of cow dung. These will be distributed free of cost among people ahead of the festival.

The gaushala also plans to make idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha out of cow dung.

The gaushala has been making these diyas for the past five years, but this time, it has procured moulds that will not only speed up the process, but also make diyas aesthetically pleasing. The production of diyas kicked off today.

Plan to make Lakshmi, Ganesha idols

We also plan to make idols of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha out of cow dung. We are procuring moulds. —Vinod Kumar, vice-president, Gauri Shanker Seva Dal

“Not only are these biodegradable, but also emit zero waste on burning. Once burnt, the remnants can be used as manure for plants. We mix ‘havan samagri’ with cow dung to create diyas. It helps keep mosquitoes and flies away,” says Vinod Kumar, vice-president, Gauri Shanker Seva Dal, an NGO that runs the cow shelter.

“In the earlier times, people used to smear the floor of their homes with cow dung paste. In the modern times, items made of cow dung must be used to keep the old tradition alive. It has immense benefits,” he says.

Besides being collected by farmers, cow dung is sent to the Burial jail for the bio gas plant set up there. The shelter has 1,150 head of cattle, which are fed with fodder bought on-the-spot by visitors.