Every year, millions across India welcome Lord Ganesha with unmatched devotion, joy, and grandeur. Homes and pandals light up with chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya”, and communities unite to celebrate the beloved deity. However, while the arrival of Bappa is marked with celebration, the visarjan, his symbolic farewell, often reveals a darker truth that devotees hesitate to acknowledge.
A photographer captured visuals from Ganesh Visarjan at Girgaon Chowpatty from the previous year and captioned it, "As a photographer, I have had the privilege of capturing various festivals across India, including the vibrant Ganesh Utsav. However, this year during the Ganesh Visarjan at Girgaon Chowpatty, I was deeply shocked and heartbroken by the manner in which the immersion was carried out. It was not just distressing for me, but also for the onlookers who witnessed it live."
One user commented saying, "Yes this totally wrong way of visarjana plz don't do like this way. bhagavan ko ithna bhakthi se pooja karke Aisa visarjana kiya tho kya fahida hei."
A recent viral video has shaken social media and left many questioning the sanctity of the rituals being practiced. In the video, a man can be seen knee-deep in a drainage canal, weeping as he pulls out discarded idols of Lord Ganesha. These idols, which were once worshipped with love, are now abandoned in filth, tossed from bridges and left to decay. With folded hands and tears in his eyes, the man asks a haunting question: “Is this how you will treat humans too?”
The distressing visuals highlight how, despite our devotion, we fail to uphold the dignity of the deity during visarjan. Instead of immersing idols in clean water bodies with proper rituals, many idols are mishandled, broken, or dumped in polluted rivers, drains, and nullahs. This not only disrespects the spiritual essence of the festival but also contributes to environmental damage, as most idols are made with plaster of Paris and toxic paints.
The man in the video goes further, lamenting that such acts reflect the true essence of Kalyug. According to him, when people can show such disregard for a god, it is no surprise that unfortunate incidents and tragedies continue to occur in society. His words serve as a painful reminder that rituals without responsibility lose their meaning.
It is time devotees understand that visarjan is not just about bidding farewell but about preserving the sanctity of the festival. Proper immersion tanks, eco-friendly idols, and responsible disposal are the need of the hour. Let Bappa’s departure be as graceful and respectful as his arrival. Anything less is not just a failure of faith but a stain on our collective conscience.
