As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, conversations around sustainable celebrations are gaining importance, with individuals and organisations encouraging people to make environmentally conscious choices. Taking this message forward, Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research (WeSchool) hosted an eco-friendly clay-making workshop as part of its ‘Engage, Empower and Act for a Sustainable Future’ initiative, in collaboration with Khushiyaan NGO.
Actor, host and sustainability advocate Rithvik Dhanjani led the workshop, where students got an opportunity to create their own clay idols while learning about the importance of sustainable practices during festivals and in everyday life.
The initiative aimed to take sustainability beyond the classroom by making environmental responsibility more interactive and relatable. Through hands-on experience, students explored how mindful choices around materials and celebrations can help reduce their impact on the environment.
Such activities can play an important role in building environmental awareness among young people. From understanding the materials used to make festive idols to reflecting on how celebrations affect the surroundings, students were encouraged to connect everyday decisions with broader environmental responsibility.
Rithvik Dhanjani brought his enthusiasm and personal connection to the workshop as he interacted with students and guided them through the clay-making process. For the actor, creating his own Ganesh idol is not simply a creative activity but a deeply personal tradition rooted in devotion.
Sharing his thoughts during the session, Rithvik said, “The only reason I make the idol with my own hands is because my love and devotion for Bappa are divine. As soon as you start creating Him with your own hands, I promise you, your life changes for the best. That has happened to me.”
The workshop also became an opportunity for students to engage in conversations around sustainability while embracing the creative side of festival preparations. By making their own clay idols, participants experienced firsthand how traditional celebrations can be approached through more environmentally responsible choices.
The initiative reflects WeSchool’s continued efforts to encourage students to think about sustainability not just as an academic concept but as a practical part of everyday life. Activities that combine creativity, cultural traditions and environmental awareness can help young people understand how individual choices can contribute to a larger collective impact.
As festive celebrations become an important part of community life, initiatives such as this highlight the possibility of bringing sustainability into familiar traditions without taking away from their emotional or cultural significance.
Through its ‘Engage, Empower and Act for a Sustainable Future’ initiative, WeSchool continues to encourage young minds to adopt responsible practices and consider the environmental impact of their choices.
The clay-making workshop served as a reminder that a sustainable future does not always require dramatic changes. Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as choosing the right material, creating something with our own hands and celebrating with greater awareness.
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