India, Sept. 10 -- For generations, Ganesh Chaturthi has been celebrated with grandeur and devotion all over the world. Families install idols, offer prayers, distribute sweets, and finally immerse Ganpati ji's idol in rivers or seas with a heartfelt farewell. Over the decades, this festival has also grown into something bigger than a household ritual: a public spectacle of towering pandals, competing sound systems, and processions that stretch for days. Yet, over the years, it has also left behind something unintended: polluted waters, toxic chemicals, and mounds of plastic waste. All of this raises an important question: What does it really mean to worship Lord Ganesha?

True celebration goes beyond idols and decorations. Lord Ganpati's...