Ganesh Visarjan at Home
There is no river outside the door and the lake has a sign forbidding it. Home visarjan is not a compromise, it is what most families abroad now do, and with a clay idol it is closer to the original practice than a plaster idol in a public lake ever was.
How to do it
- Do the final aarti, the full Sukhkarta Dukhharta.
- Offer the last naivedyam and thank him for the days he stayed.
- Fill a large bucket, tub or vessel with clean water.
- Lower the idol in gently. A shadu clay idol dissolves in a few hours.
- Pour the water into a plant, a garden bed or a tree. Never down a drain.
- Say Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya.
Why not the lake
Most municipalities in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia prohibit immersing objects in public water, and plaster of Paris idols with chemical paint genuinely damage the water. A clay idol in a vessel at home avoids both problems, which is why the eco-friendly idol movement started in India in the first place.
A silver Bappa that does not go into the water
Every Desify order this season includes a German silver Ganesh, thirty dollars in value. He is not for immersion. He stays on the shelf and comes out every year, which for a family far from home is its own kind of continuity.
Questions people ask
How do I do Ganesh visarjan at home?
Do the final aarti, thank him, then immerse a clay idol in a large bucket or vessel of water at home. Once it dissolves, pour the water into a plant or your garden rather than a drain.
Can I do visarjan in a lake or river in the USA?
Most US and UK water bodies prohibit immersing anything, and plaster idols pollute. Home visarjan in a vessel with a clay idol is both lawful and the more traditional practice.
What do you say during visarjan?
Ganpati Bappa Morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya. Come again soon next year.