Temple Floral Waste Management in India

Abstract

India is a religious country comprising various temples in every state which attract positive and divine vibrations from the surroundings. This study refers to Haridwar, Uttarakhand, a city full of temples (100 small and big temples) and located on the banks of the Ganga River. Pilgrimages from various states visit Haridwar. People offer flowers, rice, petals, milk, and coconut to the deities in order to fulfill their wishes, with about 100 g of flowers per person per day. Approximately 2000 people visit Haridwar during lean season. The crowd varies multifold during peak auspicious days and Chardham Yatra. It is estimated that during special occasions like Baisakhi, Purnamasi, Amavasya, Navaratri, etc., the floating population is more than 5 lakhs per day, with the largest occurring during Kavan Yatra in the rainy season, where about 1 crore people visit Haridwar and Rishikesh. Besides the temple, people also offer flowers directly to the Ganga River, which have a negative impact on the river ecology and are also a threat to living aquatic organisms. Generally, the quantity of flowers disposed of from the temple or to the river is estimated to be 10 tons/day. So far there is no strategic monitoring system and awareness among the people to dispose of the waste properly and its various reuse options. The most common flowers used for worship include lotus, roses, marigold, Hibiscus, jasmine, Parijat, and Kaner. Flowers not only are distinguished for their beauty and fragrance but also contain proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, essential oils, minerals, and vitamins and have tremendous potential for various reuse-recycle options. This study elaborates floral waste management by converting into value-added products such as dying colors, incense sticks, biofuels, perfumes, cosmetics, paper, and biofertilizers.