To celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, students from Indian Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT) organised ‘Sankalp’ on the eve of Ganesh Utsav with the theme ‘eco-friendly’. Students showcased eco-friendly Ganeshas using cotton, potatoes, atta, flowers and leaves. Eco-friendly rangoli, dresses, accessories and jewellery for Ganesh Maharaj were the highlights. Vinayaka Pradakshina, a famous mythological story was depicted by first semester BSc fashion and apparel students with traditional costumes and western accessories. A fashion show titled Ganesh Vandana was also organised where both students of diploma and degree depicted the celebrations of different states with their traditional costumes, accessories and rituals.
Swati, a student said, “We represented Marathi culture, Andhra Pradesh muslims, Goan christians, Bihar, Assam, Gujarat and Bengali culture in our fashion show to represent the collective spirit of the festival.”
Ranjita, a designing student said that she only used degradable materials like cotton, paper, different types of flowers and leaves to make the idol. “During festivals pollution is always a concern. This cotton Ganesha sets an example to celebrate the festival without harming the environment,” she said.
The chairman of the college B Vedhagiri said, “This is the first time we celebrated the festival in a unique way. This event is an example to show that we can do fashion shows with a backdrop of our tradition and culture. We chose the concept ‘eco friendly’ so that our design students could create something out of nothing and also celebrate the festival without polluting the nature.”