Ganpati Visarjan: From Showmanship to Real Devotion
Every year, Ganesh Chaturthi brings joy to homes and streets, with devotees welcoming Lord Ganesha through prayers, music, and rituals. Yet, when the time for visarjan comes, the devotion often fades. Instead of a respectful farewell, many idols end up dumped in drains, stagnant ponds, or muddy corners, and people casually declare the ritual complete.
This careless approach not only disrespects the tradition but also harms the environment. It also raises a bigger question: are we truly honoring Lord Ganesha, or just performing an outward ritual for appearances?
Why improper visarjan is dangerous
Most idols today are made of plaster of Paris and painted with chemicals. Plaster of Paris idols, unlike those made from natural clay, take a long time to break down in water and release harmful substances such as lead and mercury. These pollutants damage aquatic life, spoil water quality, and eventually threaten human health too.
Still, visarjan is treated as a formality. And when floods, pollution, or natural disasters follow, people blame divine injustice – forgetting that it is our own negligence creating the problem.
How to Perform Ganpati Visarjan the Right Way
Ganpati Visarjan is meant to be a respectful farewell to Lord Ganesha, not just a ritual done for show. Doing it thoughtfully helps preserve both tradition and the environment. Here’s how you can do it responsibly:
- Choose eco-friendly idols: Opt for clay or natural materials that dissolve easily in water without leaving harmful residues.
- Choose safe immersion spots: Instead of rivers, wells, or ponds, use community tanks or artificial ponds set up specifically for idol immersion.
- Complete the rituals with sincerity: Do the aarti and prayer before placing the idol gently in clean water.
- Keep the water clean: Avoid tossing idols into drains or stagnant water, which pollutes the surroundings and diminishes the sacredness of the ritual.
- Manage offerings responsibly: Flowers, garlands, and other items can be composted or collected by civic groups instead of being discarded into water bodies.
- Join cleanup efforts: After visarjan, help or support local volunteers to clean the immersion area.
Government rules and regulations
Authorities are now tightening rules to address this issue.
- In Maharashtra, PoP idols are banned from natural water bodies and must carry a red mark to ensure they are immersed only in artificial tanks.
- Mumbai’s BMC has also set clear guidelines – idols must be removed within 24 hours, sent to waste facilities, and those up to six feet can only go into artificial ponds until March 2026.
- Still, enforcement isn’t perfect. In Mira-Bhayander, workers were seen dumping sludge from immersion tanks into natural ponds, proving how negligence can undo good rules.
Citizens stepping forward
Thankfully, more people are taking responsibility. Cleanup campaigns now include NGOs, local volunteers, and even popular personalities. At Juhu beach, actor Akshay Kumar joined the post-visarjan cleaning and emphasized that keeping our surroundings clean is everyone’s duty, not only the government’s. Environmental activists are also encouraging devotees to compost offerings like flowers and coconuts instead of dumping them into water bodies.
Conclusion
Ganpati Visarjan is not just a formality. By making mindful choices – eco-friendly idols, safe immersion sites, and proper disposal of offerings – you honor Lord Ganesha while protecting nature. The essence of devotion lies in care and responsibility, not in rushing through the ritual or creating a spectacle.
