The real meaning of ganesh made from clay, in my view is, that we take from the earth only what we need, and not more. We give back to the earth what we take, and not in a way that harms the earth. (Also, so let us use this symbolism as a lesson in how to treat our fellow human beings.) So, when Ganesh is made all pretty with items that can't biodegrade in the sea/lake/water body, etc, this is not good for the earth or us. How we treat the earth, we treat ourselves. How are we mistreating the earth and our selves? We have found a nice way to make ganesh here in US with bread dough. All decorations on the Lord are spices and herbs. So, when he is dunked, even birds and fish can eat without harm of swallowing or artificial colors and flavoars! We have posted our photos in rediff! http://is.rediff.com/filephotos.php?mstart=0&id=43342 Also, visit our website at http://www.alaivani.com Happy Ganesh Chathurthi. Kumars, Rochester, NY, USA
