Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (NJC)
Mangaluru, Mar 16: The Ramakrishna Mission has launched a special campaign titled ‘Visarjane’ to ensure the respectful and proper disposal of religious waste as part of its ongoing ‘Swachh Mangaluru’ initiative in Mangaluru. The campaign will be conducted from March 16 to March 26 at six selected locations across the city.
Addressing a press conference and inaugurating the campaign at the Ramakrishna Math Mangaluru premises, the Math’s President Swami Jitakamanandaji said that volunteers from Ramakrishna Mission and the Swachh Mangaluru Foundation noticed that old photographs of deities and damaged idols were often found discarded in public places. To preserve the sanctity of such religious items, the mission decided to launch this initiative.
Temporary collection boxes will be placed for ten days at the premises of Mangaladevi Temple, Kadri Manjunath Temple, Bharath Mall Bijai, Forum Fiza Mall Pandeshwar, City Centre Mall Mangaluru and Govinda Dasa College Surathkal. If there is greater demand, the number of collection points may be increased and expanded to other parts of the city. Plans are also being considered to establish a permanent collection centre in the future.
Members of the public can deposit old framed photographs of deities, calendars containing religious images and damaged idols at these centres.
The collected items will be transported to Kadri Temple where priests will perform a special “Udvasana Pooja” ritual. After the ritual, volunteers will segregate the materials. Paper-based images will be immersed in water and used for planting Tulsi saplings. Items made of wood, glass and metal will be sent to recycling units, while materials that cannot be recycled will be safely disposed of through co-processing in cement factories, ensuring that no harm is caused to the environment.
The project is coordinated by Uday K. P. and Taranath Alva. For further information, the public can contact coordinator Ranjan Bellarpadi.
The main objective of the campaign is to create awareness among citizens about the respectful and environmentally responsible management of religious waste.
The programme was also attended by Swami Nityasthanandaji, president of Ramakrishna Math Bengaluru, and Keshav Patali, senior CSR officer of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited.