eCoexist brings you beautiful decorations for your Ganesh idols that are made out of a completely natural material called Shola.We have garlands and roses handcrafted by craftsmen in Bengal to adorn your Ganesha. Sholapith is a completely natural alternative to thermocole and plastic decorations which are non biodegradable and cause pollution. After the festival, you could either save the garland for next year or safely compost it!

What is Sholapith?

Sholapith (also referred to as shola and Indian cork) is a milky-white sponge-wood which is carved into delicate and beautiful objects of art.

Shola grows wild in marshy waterlogged areas. The biological name of shola is Aeschynomene Indica or Aeschynomene Aspera (bean family). It is an herbaceous plant, which grows particularly in the marshy areas of Bengal, Assam, Orissa and the Deccan. The sholapith is the cortex or core of the plant and is about 1 ½ inch in diameter.

Traditionally sholapith products were used in decorating Hindu idols and in creating the headgears of brides and grooms for a traditional Bengali wedding. In more recent times, sholapith handicrafts have found a wider application in home décor, as artistic objects.

Almost similar to thermocol, which is artificially produced, sholapith is much superior to thermocol in terms of malleability, texture, lustre and sponginess.

Source: Wikipedia