Ganesh Visarjan is a ritual that takes place on the last day of the Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, which commemorates the birth of the Hindu god Ganesha. During the festival, clay idols of Ganesha are installed in homes and public pandals (temporary stages) and worshipped with prayers, chants, and offerings. On the last day of the festival, the idols are taken out in processions and immersed in a river, sea, or water body, symbolizing the return of the god to his celestial abode after his visit to the earthly realm.
The immersion of the idols is also believed to represent the cycle of creation and dissolution in Hindu mythology, as well as the impermanence of life. According to Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, the divinity infused in the mud idol by consecration cannot remain in it beyond one day, and the immersion is a way to return the divine energy to the water element.
Overall, Ganesh Visarjan is a significant ritual in the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, representing the end of the festival and the return of the god to his heavenly abode.
