Ancient Aryans worshipped nature and that included trees, plants and other elements. They preserved water bodies and held every aspect of nature in great reverence. In India there is a tradition of creating figures of gods and goddesses with mud and clay especially from that which is got from the river bank. These idols are then worshipped and after a certain period say 3 or 5 or 7 or 9 or 10 days, these idols are immersed in water bodies after an appropriate send-off This is how Ganesh Festival or Durga Puja is observed. Lord Ganesh is worshipped with leaves from various trees, plants and also with wild flowers. When the idol is immersed with all these the water also gets rejuvenated with the medicinal properties that is there in the leaves and gets purified. This is how our ancients followed nature and its cycle. More importantly they would never abuse nature for they were well aware of the price they would have to pay if nature decides to strike back at them.
Unfortunately as with all else, we have forgotten our ancient customs and their significance and these festivals have also become an occasion to show people’s status and money power. How else can we explain the use of colorful Plaster of Paris idols gaudily decorated with artificial festoons and buntings? These images after immersion poison the water with the harmful chemicals and this in turn is going to affect the living forms in the water as also those who may eat them. The air also gets polluted and there is destruction everywhere. This is surely not what the gods want. We need to spread this awareness and let us take a pledge on the occasion of every festival that we will think carefully of the repercussion of our action and never do anything to destroy air, water or any other element and do all that we can to protect them always.
All native tribes whether they are Native Americans, Africans, Aboriginals wherever they are, respect nature and its forms. It is only the so called educated and cultured man who has thrown all established customs to the wind and lives without following any good sense. It is time we reverse this trend and as a first step start with ourselves by taking a pledge to nourish and nurture nature.
