Visakhapatnam: Chocolate Ganesha idols is the new attraction this Vinayaka Chavithi in Port City, especially among children. A maker of homemade chocolates has designed Ganesha idols of various sizes from 3 inches to 5 feet and is supplying them on order. This Ganesha, made with eco-friendly ingredient, has been made following the sastras or religious scriptures. It can be ‘immersed’ in milk, which can be consumed as chocolate milk by children and worshippers.Although he came up with the idea in 2015, for the first time, S Dilip from Chocomate in MVP Colony is making the idols commercially to supply to places, even outside Visakhapatnam. The ganeshas can be ordered online as well.He has received more than 200 enquiries through social media from other states such as Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. “From AP, I got calls from Viajaywada, Rajmundhry, Kurnool and Machilipatnam apart from Visakhapatnam. Over 120 idols have already been sold. Youngsters and families are mainly buying this ganesha as kids are enthusiastic about chocolates. The ganeshas are made of dark and milk chocolates and decorated with white chocolates and colourful gems.”Explaining how the chocolate ganesha idols are prepared as per the religious scriptures, Dilip said, “As per the sashtras, the human body is composed of five elements called panchamahabhuta — ether/space, air, water, fire and earth. The ganesha idols too should be made of these five elements for prana pratishtha (breathing life) into the idol. After nimajjan, it should be merged in one of the pancha mahabhuta (that is why idols are mostly made of clay or earth).Chocolate is made from cocoa beans and sugar — both plantation crops grown in earth. Since the human body is also made of five elements, immersing the idol in milk and then consuming it means, it would again merge with the five elements. Therefore, with chocolate ganeshas, rituals are followed in the best possible eco-friendly manner,” he said.

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