Stories behind Ganesh Visarjan | Fusion - WeRIndia

Ganesh Chaturthi has a great significance in Hinduism. From bringing the idol of Lord Ganesh to home to the visarjan (immersion) of the idol, everything is performed with great devotion and fervour by devotees.

Visarjan is the ritual of immersing the idol of Lord Ganesh in a water body like a sea, river, lake etc. In the olden days, the clay idols of Lord Ganesh were immersed in wells. At that time, people believed that clay and other herbal plants used for puja would cleanse the well water and keep them healthy.

But, later wells were replaced with bore wells and sumps. People gradually switched to taps. Besides, they also favoured PoP idols in the place of clay idols.

Now, again many people are switching to clay idols due to the adverse impacts of PoP on the environment.

Regarding the visarjna of Lord Ganesh, the idols of Lord Ganesha are immersed after ten days on Anant Chaturdashi.

It is believed that Lord Ganesha returns to Mount Kailash and joins his parents on the last day of the festival.

It is also said that Lord Ganesha visits devotees each year to stay ten days with them. After that, he leaves their home to reach his heavenly abode. That’s why the immersion of Lord Ganesha takes place with joy and devotees bid farewell to the Lord.

In addition to that, the festival symbolizes the life cycle. People use a new idol each year to worship the Lord to represent the cycle of birth and death. The visarjan or immersion also illustrates nothing is permanent in the world. It reminds the fact to everyone.

Devotees also believe that worshipping Lord Ganesha will remove obstacles. It is also believed that all obstacles will be eradicated with the immersion of Lord Ganesha.

Image by Dean Moriarty from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/photos/statue-lord-ganesha-religious-1910481/