GEORGE TOWN: As Deepavali approaches, the Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) has launched a campaign to encourage Hindu devotees to dispose of old religious items properly.
MHS Penang chairman A. Tharman said the “Divine Product Recycling Campaign” provides devotees with a respectful and environmentally friendly way to part with worn or damaged religious items.
He said the campaign is timely as many devotees have purchased new idols, images and prayer items during the festive season.
“Many are unsure of how to dispose of old or broken idols, printed images and prayer materials – including clay lamps (agal vilakku) – and other consecrated items. Simply throwing them away is not appropriate according to Hindu beliefs.
“They are meant to be immersed in natural bodies of water, buried or handed to temples for proper disposal.
Eco drive: MHS Penang State Welfare chairman B. Senthilkumar crushing a damaged idol of Lord Ganesha into smaller pieces before being disposed of. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
“However, with growing environmental awareness, especially about the pollution caused by plaster of paris idols or chemical-based paints, we want to encourage devotees to adopt more eco-friendly practices.
“This campaign offers a proper channel for disposal that respects both religious traditions and environmental responsibility,” he said after launching the half-day campaign at the Sree Maha Mariamman Temple Hall in Queen Street on Saturday.
Under the campaign, MHS volunteers collect old idols, pictures and prayer items from devotees.
The pictures are then carefully removed from their frames and set aside for ritual disposal.
A short prayer ceremony is then conducted by a priest at the seaside, as a mark of gratitude and reverence for the divine presence that once resided in the items.
“The images are respectfully burnt and the ashes released into the sea. For idols, especially those made of clay, they are broken into smaller pieces before being gently placed into the water – symbolising the return of the divine form to nature,” he explained.
He said the campaign will be held again next year, about a month before Deepavali, with two collection points on the island and two on the mainland.
Among the early participants was classical dance teacher T. Pavaani, 45, who said she was unsure how to dispose of the sacred items stored in her home for over a year.
“Previously, I used to immerse them in the sea or hand them to temples, but in recent years, temples have stopped accepting such items. I was relieved to learn about this campaign – it’s a thoughtful initiative,” she said.
Administrative clerk S. Magesperi, 51, who found out about the programme on social media, said it offers a practical and responsible alternative.
“In the past, I’d release the idols and images into the sea, but I stopped doing that a few years ago.
“This campaign allows us to uphold our spiritual values while caring for the environment,” she said, adding that she is glad to learn that brass lamps can also be collected for recycling.
Tharman said the council hopes to expand the campaign nationwide in the future, as part of its ongoing efforts to combine religious reverence with environmental responsibility.
