To boost green cover, boy has seed modak bee in his bonnet

Hyderabad: With a mission to increase green cover, nine-year-old Aariv K Rao has come up with a unique initiative for Ganesh Chaturthi. He has created seed modaks, which can be offered to Lord Ganesh and later planted to grow into vibrant plants.

These modaks are not edible, as they are made from Ganga mitti and coco peat. After the festival, these small dumplings (modak) can be sown in pots, gradually blossoming into orange and yellow marigold plants, transforming your garden into a vibrant tribute to Lord Ganesh’s blessings.

Speaking to The Hans India, Aariv K Rao, a nine-year-old from Jeedimetla village, said, “I wanted to create something that gives back to nature. I have previously done plantation drives with friends. While travelling with my parents, I noticed many barren places with no trees, which inspired me to contribute to nature this festival. I decided to make seed modaks using Ganga mitti, which I sourced from a Bengali artisan in West Bengal. I mixed this soil with coco peat and inserted marigold seeds, shaping them into modaks. I have made around 350 modaks and planned to distribute them to various Ganesh pandals, receiving orders from several puja organisers.”

“The main concept behind this initiative is that once the seed-modak is offered as prasad to Lord Ganesh, it can be sown in a pot. Within a few months, a marigold plant will grow from it,” he added.