Mysore/Mysuru: Members of Yuva Brigade came together and disposed of old and damaged photos and idols of Gods and Goddesses and other items abandoned under trees across the city. The damaged photos and idols were then taken to a designated place where pits were dug to bury them.

This is a State-wide programme launched by the Yuva Brigade today and in Mysuru district, activities were taken up in Mysuru, Nanjangud, Nagarle, Hunsur, Periyapatna, H.D. Kote and T. Narasipur. Till about  1 pm, over 1,500 photos were collected and gathered near Saraswathipuram Dhobi Ghat to be disposed of. Over 200 volunteers were involved in the operation. 

We often see orphaned pictures of Gods and Goddesses lying under trees in a neglected state and battered by rain and sunshine. Many a time, pictures of Gods get dilapidated or damaged at homes. Not willing to keep them at homes, people commonly dispose them of under peepal or banyan trees. Also, people shifting from rented houses from Mysuru to other places too choose to get rid of such photos. Hundreds of volunteers from Yuva Brigade throughout the State have taken up a task of ridding the trees of discarded photos. According to activists of Yuva Brigade, volunteers have beforehand identified trees that have to be cleared.

“We have collected hundreds of photos, idols and religious relics. The task before us now is to separate the glass and wood parts of the photos, dispose them of in a way that will not harm the environment,” they said. 

Through this act, the Yuva Brigade is sending out a message to households not to discard their religious items by the roadside even if it is under peepal or banyan trees which are considered holy. “We want to remind people that it is their duty to maintain cleanliness of their surroundings,” they said. 

“These idols used mostly in household pujas are left under peepal trees once prayers are over. People often leave broken idols and pictures of Gods under peepal trees, as these are considered holy, but they gradually degrade over time,” Chandrashekar, Yuva Brigade in-charge of Mysuru told SOM.

After separating the glass from the photos, the glass and wooden frames would be handed over to Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) for reuse and recycling and the photos would be buried in pits where later trees would be planted, he added.

Activists Arun Kumar, Rudresh, Mahendra, Manju, Govindu, Ramesh, Prasad, Shivu, Shankar, Arjun and others participated.