A Journalist Reveals Creativity, Sustainability and Spirituality – We reveal the unrevealed.
Ganeshotsav ends with Ganapathy Visarjan. In Maharashtra, some people take the smaller idols in their own hands to the immersion venue. If the idol is bigger than a man can hold, they transport it within a tempo, car or even a large truck. Some people chant slogans while they take the idols for Visarjan. Other people can be seen taking the idols with an orchestra or a music band. People, who think they can dance, dance their way to the Visarjan venue.
Ganapathy Visarjan:
Ganapathy Visarjan is usually done in small ponds, running rivers, creeks or even coastal beaches. Nowadays, artificial tanks are made so that a group of people can complete the immersion of their deities. At some places, pundits are present in the artificial ponds, who take the smaller idols from the people and complete the immersion ritual traditionally for the people. This ritual is followed by the pundit receiving dakshina for the performance of the ritual.
Actor Sanjay Dutt brought home an eco-friendly Ganapathy this time and performed the Visarjan Ritual in a plastic tub filled with water. In South India, people traditionally brought home uncolored idols made of raw clay. Post celebration of the festival, the people would consign the idols to the water in their backyard wells.
Traditionally, in our home, we decorate a suitable vessel and fill it with water having Gangajal, cow’s urine, a little turmeric powder, sandalwood powder and rosewater. We call upon all the Indian rivers and oceans and perform the ritual of Visarjan in this vessel. We add some amount of cow’s urine in the tap water that we take for this ritual. The reason is that we call upon the sacred rivers, which are polluted in today’s times. Cow’s urine is used to purify the water. Then, our immersion ritual is completed.
Post Visarjan:
At home, when we complete the Visarjan Ritual, we are left with a watery shapeless mud or clay. We pour it completely into plant pots or garden where it does not come in our way. There is another tradition of Visarjan. If water is not available or people do not want to use a vessel for the ritual, they can dig a suitably sized pit in the garden. Water is poured into it and the idols are immersed in this. The pit can be covered immediately or on the next day with some soil.
We are sharing the pictures of the Visarjan Ritual celebrated at our home.
