Udhvasana - Farewell to Divine photos and idols

---

HCF Volunteers systematically gather discarded items from temples and public areas, and strategically placed collection boxes at popular HSR Layout temples.

• Residents bring photos and idols they wish to bid farewell to, and often with gratitude for a respectful alternative to haphazard disposal. 
• A solemn Udhvaasana/Visarajana Pooja is performed, lending a spiritual aura and underscoring the community’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
• ‘sacred swap’ also happens, which enables participants to adopt preloved, often rare, divine items
• Thousands of photos and idols are received on the day of Udhvasana pooja, all to be given a respectful farewell.

• The photos after the pooja are carefully dismantled by group of volunteers and sent to the right destination for recycling.
• This work typically is labor intensive and takes up to 2-weeks
• Our volunteers carefully go through every photo to make sure that the frames, glasses, card boards, nails and even stapler is removed and grouped so they reach the right recycling process.
• The idols are grouped according to the category, if cleaned and polished so they can be re-homed. Others are sent for melting and metal recovery.

1. Beyond the spiritual and communal aspects, the event serves as a practical learning session on responsible consumerism. 
2. Picture frames, due to their construction, typically incorporate 8 to 10 distinct materials, often including various types of plastics, wood, metal, and adhesives. This complex material composition significantly complicates the recycling process, as each material requires separate processing. 
3. Laminated picture frames were identified as non-recyclable due to the inseparable bonding of dissimilar materials. 
4.  POP (Plaster of Paris) idols often used in religious ceremonies, are often non-recyclable, which contribute to environmental contamination when discarded. 
5. Collection and recycling of small pooja items, like incense holders and miniature statues, present unique logistical challenges due to their diverse materials and small size. 
6. These lessons underscores the importance of minimalistic purchasing, selecting sustainable materials, and prioritizing reuse over buying new items, all in the interest of environmental preservation.