Ganesh Visarjan celebrated on Anant Chaturdashi brings an end to 10 day long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, explore more on date, and celebrations.
Ganesh Visarjan 2024
Ganesh Chaturthi festival which celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, culminates on Anant Chaturdashi, the day marked for the immersion of Ganesh idols. Although the day is the most auspicious for performing 'visarjan', the system of performing immersion on the 3rd, 5th or 7th day is also followed by many mandals and households. It is most popular in Maharashtra as it is the state’s biggest festival,while other states also see quite a bit of festivity with increasing number of puja mandaps.
Though Ganesh Visarjan puts an end to the festivity, it is one of the most captivating ceremonies, at once gaudy and reverential. It consists of moving processions with a heightened fervour and a sense of jubilation. While the slogan 'Ganpati Bappa Morya' uplifts the mood, the devotees also feel sad that they have bid goodbye to the ‘Vighnaharta’ (one who removes obstacles of life), the underlying emotion is that Lord Ganesha will arrive next year, give blessings and invest devotees with renewed vigour to take new initiatives. Thus, ‘Ganesh Visarjan’ in which the Ganesh idols are immersed in the sea or nearby lakes and rivers of the city are carried out with full honour.
Rituals on Ganesh Visarjan
The ‘Mahapuja’ precedes the ‘Uttar puja’. In the latter, Shri Ganapati is invoked to be invited again. The offerings consist of coconuts, flowers, modak and sweets. Aarti which eulogizes the different facets of Lord Ganesh is performed.Even though the idols are community based (sarvajanik) or home based (gharguti), the rituals of prayer and puja are similar. After the immersion, devotees collect the sanctified earth and sprinkle it around the house.
In Mumbai, Ganesha Visarjan is performed under the rules and supervision of Ganesh Mandals, which are managed by the Brihanmumbai Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti. The procession is a gaudy affair, led by truckloads of people accompanied with dhol, tasha and the other traditional instruments. The procession concludes at Girgaum Chowpatty, Juhu beach, Madh Island, Powai Lake, Dadar and other places. Ganesh Visarjan is held throughout the night till the next morning. The most famous is the immersion of Ganesha idol of Lalbaugcha Raja being taken in a procession with unmatched revelry and pomposity amidst tight security. The administration makes special arrangements in traffic and rail services to ensure smooth to and fro movement of people on the immersion routes.
History of Ganesh Visarjan
The festival was started by freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. It became a pan-India festival that transcends caste and community barriers. Dharavi in Mumbai is the place originally known for making Ganesh idols.
Celebration and festivity
From the final ‘stuti’ and lighting of ‘diya’ in front of Lord Ganesh, to the start of the street procession complete with dance and drum and dhol beats , Ganesh Visarjan is full of exhilarating moments. Devotees dance together and throw or smear ‘gulal’ (colours) on each other in joy in a show of bonding and camaraderie while leading Lord Ganesh respectfully to his celestial abode. In the final moment of departure symbolized by the ‘visarjan’, the strong message of moving away from the realm of bonding to detachment is also brought out. As the procession moves slowly and in huge numbers, some continue till the wee hours of the night, the streets come alive with the rumbustious chants of ‘Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya’. Lakhs of idols are taken out for immersion in various places including Pune, Konkan, Nashik, Solapur and Nagpur, undeterred by rains which continued to lash many parts of the state.
In Bihar and Eastern UP, Lord Vishnu’s ‘AnantRoop’ is also worshipped with a bowl containing Panchamrit (a sacred concoction of milk, curd, jaggery, honey and ghee), and offerings of fourteen ‘puri’ and fourteen ‘pua’ and a protective thread is tied on the arm of men and removed after fourteen days.
Ganesha Visarjan on Anant Chaturdashi on Monday, September 16, 2024
Auspicious Choghadiya Muhurat for Ganesha Visarjan
Morning Muhurat (Shubha) - 06:12 AM to 07:42 AM
Morning Muhurat (Chara, Labha, Amrita) - 09:12 AM to 01:48 PM
Afternoon Muhurat (Shubha) - 03:20 PM to 04:52 PM
Evening Muhurat (Labha) - 07:52 PM to 09:20 PM
Night Muhurat (Labha) - 10:48 PM to 03:12 AM, Sep 18
Chaturdashi Tithi Begins - 03:10 PM on Sep 16, 2024
Chaturdashi Tithi Ends - 11:44 AM on Sep 17, 2024
Visarjan on Ganesha Chaturthi
Auspicious Choghadiya Muhurat for Ganesha Visarjan
Afternoon Muhurat (Chara, Labha, Amrita) - 01:35 PM to 05:02 PM
Evening Muhurat (Labha) - 06:37 PM to 08:02 PM
Night Muhurat (Shubha, Amrita, Chara) - 09:28 PM to 01:46 AM, Sep 08
Early Morning Muhurat (Labha) - 04:37 AM to 06:03 AM, Sep 08
Ganesha Visarjan Dates (2021 - 2025)
Year | Date (Day) |
2021 | 19 September (Sunday) |
2022 | 9 September (Friday) |
2023 | 28 September (Thursday) |
2024 | 16 September (Monday) |
2025 | 6 September (Saturday) |