RANCHI: To keep the water sources clean, the Ramgarh district in Jharkhand has taken up manufacturing of organic ‘gulaal’ and incense sticks with the flowers and ‘belpatra’ offered to Goddess Chinnamastika at Rajrappa temple.
These offerings to the Goddess were thrown into the confluence of the Domodar and Bhairavi rivers located near the temple complex.
Thousands visit the temple daily, resulting in the accumulation of tons of flowers, belpatra, bangles, ‘aalta’ and several other things that find place into the confluence of the two rivers, creating pollution.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the initiative has been taken by the district under Project Matangi by utilising the District Mineral Foundation funds.
The project is aimed at segregating flowers and belptara and drying them up.
The dried part of the flowers is processed involving the local women and then made into organic gulaal and other colours, said Ramgarh Deputy Commissioner Madhavi Mishra.
Similarly, ‘belpatra’ is used for making incense sticks after processing the dried leaves, she said.
“Once the production is up, we will tie-up with Brand Palash of Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) for branding and marketing,” said Mishra.
Production of incense sticks has begun with the first lot of gulaal and other colours being readied before Holi, she said.
As of now, nearly 25 local women have been employed in the project, she said.
“A semi-mechanised system was chosen for production for generating livelihood opportunities to those who were already involved in cleaning and other menial jobs in the temple premises,” she said.