Why India Must Stop Importing Puja Items from China: A Call for Sanatan Quality Certification
India is a land of deep spiritual heritage, where devotion is expressed daily through countless rituals, prayers, and offerings. Temples and homes alike resonate with the sounds of bells, the fragrance of incense, and the glow of lamps. These sacred acts of worship, known collectively as puja, are not merely customs; they are living expressions of Sanatan Dharma — the eternal way of life.
Yet, in recent years, an unsettling reality has emerged: India spends thousands of crores of rupees each year importing puja-related items from countries like China. These imports include statues of deities, photo frames, decorative lamps, incense stands, and other ritual accessories. While they may appear harmless, the implications of this trade are far-reaching — touching upon issues of national security, environmental sustainability, economic independence, and spiritual authenticity.
Massive Outflow of Wealth:
Every year, a substantial portion of India’s foreign currency reserves is spent on importing puja items from China. Even though India has a rich tradition of artisanship and the resources to produce these items domestically, foreign-made goods — often cheaper and mass-produced — flood the market, outcompeting local craftsmen.
This is not a small leak in the economy; it is a significant outflow of wealth. If redirected towards Indian manufacturers, this money could support village economies, revive traditional art forms, and generate employment for thousands.
Funding Adversaries:
The economic concern deepens when we consider that China has openly supported Pakistan during conflicts such as Operation Sindoor. This means that the rupees we spend on Chinese imports can indirectly contribute to funding nations and activities hostile to India. It is, in effect, a bitter irony — unknowingly sponsoring forces that undermine our own security, even while engaging in acts of worship meant to safeguard and bless our homes and nation.
What the Shastras Say:
Sanatan scriptures — the Vedas, Agamas, and Puranas — are explicit about the materials suitable for making sacred idols and puja items. According to these texts, statues and other sacred objects should be made of natural, pure, and satvik materials such as:
- Metals like gold, silver, copper, and bronze
- Clay and mud
- Wood from sacred trees
- Stone carved in prescribed forms
These materials are considered capable of holding and radiating spiritual energy when consecrated through ritual. In contrast, synthetic, plastic, or chemically processed items are not prescribed for worship and may even be considered inauspicious.
The Issue with Imported Puja Items:
The majority of puja goods imported from China are made from synthetic resins, cheap plastics, and chemically painted surfaces. While they may look attractive and mimic traditional forms, they lack the sanctity and scriptural alignment that true worship demands. Moreover, they cannot be respectfully disposed of after use — a significant spiritual and environmental concern.
Non-Biodegradable and Harmful:
One of the core principles in Sanatan Dharma is Ahimsa — non-violence, which extends to the environment. Traditionally, when a statue or sacred object is no longer in use, it is immersed in a river or buried in the earth, allowing it to return to nature harmlessly. Natural materials decompose without polluting the environment.
However, plastic and synthetic materials do not decompose. When immersed in rivers during Visarjan (idol immersion), they release toxins, harm aquatic life, and contribute to the already severe pollution of India’s water bodies. Thus, imported synthetic puja items are not only spiritually unsuitable but also environmentally hazardous.
Lack of Awareness Among the Public:
The average consumer purchasing a puja item often assumes that it is made from traditional, natural materials. The external finish of synthetic idols and lamps can be deceptively similar to clay or metal. Without proper labeling, most buyers have no way of knowing whether the item aligns with scriptural prescriptions.
Absence of a Quality Standard:
India has various consumer protection standards for food safety, electronics, and manufactured goods. However, there is no official quality certification to indicate whether a puja item is scripturally compliant, environmentally friendly, and made from safe materials. In a secular country like India, the government may not define religious suitability — but Sanatan believers themselves can and should create such a system.
Learning from Precedent: The Dairy Import Example:
Recently, India cancelled a trade deal with the United States involving dairy products because American cows are often fed non-vegetarian diets, making the resulting milk non-veg by Indian standards. This decision was made to uphold cultural and dietary principles valued by millions of Indians. A similar approach can be taken regarding puja items. If a product does not meet the criteria set by Shastras and Sanatan traditions, it should not be sold as a sacred article for worship.
Proposed Solution: A Sanatan Quality Certification System:
The Sanatan Quality Standard (SQS) would:
1. Certify materials — ensuring that statues, lamps, and other puja items are made only from scripturally approved, eco-friendly materials.
2. Label authenticity — enabling buyers to easily identify items that are worthy of worship.
3. Promote local artisans — giving preference to Indian-made goods and reviving traditional craftsmanship.
4. Protect the environment — by discouraging non-biodegradable materials.
5. Preserve tradition — ensuring that spiritual practices remain in harmony with the principles laid down by Sanatan Dharma.
Implementation:
1. Form a Sanatan Standards Board consisting of Vedic scholars, artisans, environmental scientists, and consumer rights experts.
2. Develop clear guidelines based on scriptural references for materials and craftsmanship.
3. Partner with BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) for recognition of the certification.
4. Launch public awareness campaigns explaining the importance of certified products.
5. Introduce eco-friendly disposal methods in line with traditional practices.
Economic Benefits of the Sanatan Quality System:
1. Saving Foreign Exchange: By reducing or eliminating imports of synthetic puja items, India could save thousands of crores in foreign currency every year.
2. Boosting Local Economy:Increased demand for domestically made puja goods will directly benefit Indian artisans, particularly in rural and temple town economies such as Jaipur, Puri, Varanasi, Madurai, and Kanchipuram.
3.Employment Generation:Reviving traditional crafts will create jobs for metalworkers, woodcarvers, stone sculptors, and clay artisans.
The Role of Awareness Campaigns:
For this change to take root, public education is essential. Many devotees are unaware that the items they use in worship may be spiritually unsuitable, harmful to the environment, or foreign-made. Awareness campaigns could involve:
1. Workshops in temples and community halls
2. Educational videos on social media
3. Flyers and labels at shops selling puja items
4. Collaborations with spiritual leaders and gurus
5. Involvement of schools to teach children about traditional materials and eco-friendly practices.
Immediate Measures:
1. Encourage temples and spiritual organizations to commit to using only scripturally approved, eco-friendly puja items.
2. Request shopkeepers to label products with “Natural Material” or “Synthetic Material” tags.
Policy Measures:
1. Petition for the introduction of an SQS certification system.
2. Impose higher import duties on synthetic puja goods to discourage their entry into the market.
Long-Term Cultural Shift:
1. Cultivate pride in using Indian-made, traditional items.
2. Revive festivals like Shilp Mela to showcase local craftsmanship.
3. Promote the gifting of certified eco-friendly puja items.
Conclusion:
Sanatan Dharma teaches that every act of worship should be in harmony with nature and aligned with scriptural injunctions.The materials we use in puja are not just decorative; they are carriers of divine energy, and their purity matters. By continuing to import cheap, synthetic puja items from China, we not only undermine our artisans and traditions but also contribute to environmental harm and, indirectly, to nations that work against our own.
The solution lies in creating and enforcing a Sanatan Quality Standard for puja items, educating the public, and promoting eco-friendly, locally made alternatives. Such a system would honor our scriptures, protect our environment, safeguard national interests, and revive the rich artisanal heritage of India.
By making this conscious choice, we ensure that our worship is pure, our environment is respected, our artisans are supported, and our nation’s resources are preserved. In doing so, we transform puja from being merely a ritual into a truly holistic act — one that serves the divine, the people, and the planet.