Ganesha implies knowledge and his ‘visarjan’ should be knowledgeable too

New Delhi, September 09: Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganeshotsav is being celebrated with fervour across the country. It is one of the biggest festivals for Hindus and concludes with the 'visarjan' of the Ganesha 'murti'.

To begin with, we should understand that the divinity 'Ganesha' is connected with knowledge. Hence, it becomes important that we celebrate this festival too with knowledge, even in the modern world, say Bharath Gyan founders Dr. D K Hari and Dr.Hema Hari.

The murti of Ganesha literally takes centre stage during these 10 days. People today make these murti using all sorts of materials and in all sorts of forms and themes, they say.

The word Murti has been used in this land to describe the worshipped form of Ganesha and is indeed an apt term, because a murti is an embodiment of the larger phenomenon that it represents. As a personification and embodiment of that phenomenon, a murti thus is made to bear as well as remind of those characteristics. It is then consecrated to bear the power of the phenomenon too.

"Which is why, when the Shilpi, Vishwakarma sets out to sculpt a murti for a divinity, he first meditates on the divinity and the form that he divines, is what he translates into the medium chosen for the murti" reveals Dr.Hari as told to him by a Vishwakarma himself.

The medium is also carefully chosen so as to be able to hold and radiate the traits and power of the divinity that the murti has to embody.

Thus, both the form as well as the medium have an important role to play in the murti that we eventually revere as our deity, adds Hema Hari.

Hence, a knowledge about the knowledge divinity Ganesha and a well-informed choice of a murti of Ganesha will be a good starting point for the celebration.

If you note, this festival falls in the month of Bhadra. This is also the time when schooling and education used to start in India after the Chaturmasya monsoon and the performance of the Upakarma during the preceding Shravan Poornima. What could be a better way to start studies than by propitiating Ganesha, the divinity for knowledge which gives clarity of mind to overcome obstacles too? ask the Hari couple.

Ganeshotsav and all other utsav where murti are installed and worshipped for a few days such as Durga Puja or even Vishwakarma Puja, have to end in a Visarjan. The idea of a 'visarjan is all about giving back and giving up. From this, one can see the larger design of such festivals dawning on us, they highlight.

Festivals such as Ganeshotsav are meant to invoke and create an ambience for that particular Divine energy to get focused in the murti and energize all those around it. A window of 10 days are given so as to condition one's body and mind to receive and enjoy this shower of good energies to the utmost. Same is the case with the Durga Puja during Navaratri of 9 days.

However, after this window, one is expected to give up leaning on this source of energy and learn to work on one's own, putting all these energies to good use, until it is time to recharge again the next year, at the same time window, when it is opportune for such energies to manifest, be palpable, be in the air.

Thus, Visarjan is equally important as is the Agaman or arrival of Ganesha at the start of the Utsav, they elucidate.

Hence, while making the murti or making a choice of the murti, it is important to bear all these aspects in mind and go for murti made of organic, natural substances. This will enable it to resonate better as a good murti as well as to merge back into Nature after the 'Visarjan', Hari and Hema explain, adding that, only those things that are sustainable are acceptable to be Divine.

Artificial things will "stay apart" as artificial and natural will "blend" naturally. This is a very important point to remember, as divinity is natural and sustains Nature.

When we use natural substances for the murti and give it back to Nature by immersing it in water bodies, it merges with the water there and acts as a support for aquatic organisms. Material which do not disintegrate and do not merge back with the elements, in turn, harm the overall eco-system, Dr Hema says.

Unfortunately, in the last few decades, these Murti have been made with synthetic substances as well as painted with lead-based dyes to look colourful and attractive, instead of using natural, plant-based dyes. Visarjan of such murti with lead-based paints leads to poisoning of the water bodies which are the very source for our living and well-being, Dr Hari says, while adding that it also harms the fish and other beings living in it.

The use of synthetic substances in the making of the 'murti' of Ganesha is thus not the right way to propitiate Ganesha. It is not knowledgeable, to say the least, considering 'Ganesha' is associated with knowledge, they say.

The Bharath Gyan founders point out that a sustainable celebration is an important aspect of any festival, utsav. Not only should the utsav uplift the people in knowledge and spirit, it should also eventually uplift the environment around.

Ganesha's mother is Parvati. The name Parvati has a connect with Parbat, hills. She is held as the daughter of the hills. So, while propitiating Her son we naturally cannot cause any harm to the hills, forest, land, water and life in it.

The Bharath Gyan founders say that keeping this in mind is not only important from the perspective of the environment. It is also important because Parvati as a mother will not accept back anything that is not acceptable to Her as Her son. You will have to give Her son back to Her in the natural form in which She gave Him to you. Anything less or different will not be acceptable to Her, they add.

Lets have a #narrativechange from synthetic to organic, not just in what we eat but also in what we pray to!