Why immersion of idols of gods
The number of idols, photos and statues of gods and goddesses in the place of worship has become a problem in today's times. Often, family members bring photos and statues of gods with them while returning from pilgrimage. Apart from this, there are many idols received as gifts. These and many idols that have been passed down are worshipped in the same way. In some houses, there are four idols of each god. Apart from this, there are also different photos. But due to being broken or worn out, some idols cannot be identified as to whose they are. Still, people are unable to muster the courage to immerse such idols, the reason for which is the fear of God's wrath.
On having the knowledge of the scriptures, the above doubts and contradictions can be removed in a moment.By following the instructions and rules, worshipping God does not seem to be troublesome, but seems to be a very encouraging and beloved altruistic deed. The first instruction about worship is that it is necessary to have Panchayatan worship in every house every day. Panchayatan Vishnu Shaligram, Narmada Ganapati, Sphatik Surya, Suvarnmukhi Devi and Shiv Banaling are still worshipped in some families. Panchayatan deities are available in the shops near Vishwaeshwar Temple in Varanasi. The general indication about Panchayatan is that many idols, statues, coins and photos of the same deity should not be kept in the prayer room.
There were no photographs in the olden days. Today, as the photo system has developed a lot, a photo of any deity or a good man can be obtained. Apart from worship, such photos are also used for meditation. Therefore, there should be a photo of Ishtdevata or Sadguru in the place of worship. But apart from this, repetition of idols, coins and photos of other deities should be avoided, otherwise they become endless. On returning from pilgrimage, the idols and photos brought with you should be used for collection. They can be kept in the showcase but they should not be included among the deities of worship.
The second advice is that a brass or copper idol can be kept for one generation i.e. 21 years, a silver idol for two generations i.e. 40-45 years and a gold idol for four generations i.e. about 100 years. This period has been determined according to the anointment done on the idol, chemical process and wear and tear caused by repeated hand touch. With this conclusion, the number of many idols and statues kept in the worship room will automatically decrease. The third advice is that the idols whose names are not known and are broken or worn out should not be kept in the worship room. The fourth advice is that an idol smaller or bigger than the palm should not be kept in the worship room. By following these rules, the crowd of gods in the worship place will automatically decrease.
The house where the young generation is extremely atheist and modern and there is no possibility of them worshipping God in the future; In such a house, it is better to immerse the deities rather than neglect them. Many times there is no offspring and there is no power to adopt them, then the question arises as to what should be done with the idols? In such a situation, either immerse them or hand them over to someone who wants them.
By following the above mentioned instructions, the order of immersion of many unnecessary idols and statues is achieved. Such idols should be immersed on an auspicious day.
Collect them and immerse them. First clean them with lemon and ash etc. Abhishek of Panchamrit on them. Then offer curd-rice as Prasad and offer Naivedya. After that offer rice grains by chanting the following mantra-
Bantu Devganah Sarve Pujamaadaay Parthivim. Ishta Kaam Prasidhyartham Punaraagamanaya Cha॥
After that tie all the idols in new clothes and keep them in the house for about seven months. Reason- If there is regret of immersion or any other mistake, then there is scope to correct it.
In this way, the worship done when the temple becomes clean, pure, beautiful and ideal gives satisfaction to the mind. Bathe the metal idols on festivals like Ekadashi, Purnima, Lunar or Solar Eclipse or Amavasya etc. Wipe them with a wet cloth on the remaining days. Swayambhu idol and Panchayatan idols can be bathed daily also. Perform Uddharjan at least three times in a year- before Kuldharma, Kulachar and Navaratri festival.
Do not use utensils cleaning items, powder or Rangoli for Uddharjan. Clean the idols with tamarind, salt and lemon. After that, clean them with ash. It would be better to use coconut husk or brush for cleaning. Perform Panchamrit Abhishek on the day of Uddharjan. Keep the place of worship, wooden house made to keep the deities or house made of other metals clean. Perform Panchamrit Abhishek on the day of Vardhapan, ceremony or festival. Perform three times the worship after more than three days or get Pran-Pratishtha done. According to the scriptures, even if Pran-Pratishtha of an idol is not done, by worshipping it regularly, divinity appears in that idol.
Many people have yantras of different deities. By placing the right hand on them and reciting the name of the respective deity and his mantra, divinity comes into those yantras. Those who do not know the method of Yantra-Pooja, should immerse those Yantras instead of worshipping out of ignorance. Only these three types of deities should be kept in an ideal prayer room - Ishta Devta, Kuldevta and Panchayatan. The idol of Ishta Devta should be smaller than the palm. According to the scriptures, it is not advisable to worship an idol larger than the palm. Panchayatan includes Narmada Ganapati, Sphatik Surya, Suvarnmukhi Devi, Shiv Banaling and Vishnu Shaligram. Generally, Panchayatan is composed by keeping Vishnu Shaligram in the middle. But those who have taken initiation in Ganapatya, Shaiva, Shastra or Aghori sectLi Ho: They should place Narmada Ganapati, Shiv Banaling, Swarnmukhi Devi and Sphatik Surya in the middle respectively.
Ishtadevata Panchayatan Since the deity is the essence (Parmatma), first install Panchayatan, then Yantra and after that Ishtadevata. After that, there should be Kuldevata (Tank or idol). In many houses, there is a tradition of keeping Balkrishna and Annapurna Devi brought by the bride in the Devghar after marriage. In such a case, both these idols should be kept in front of Kuldevata. Balkrishna is worshipped during Tulsi Vivah. Therefore, there is no harm in keeping it in the Pujaghar instead of immersing it. If the daughter-in-law brings Balkrishna, then the mother-in-law's Balkrishna should be immersed. After that, keep a conch on the left side and a bell on the right side in the front part of the Devghar. The bell should be unbroken and united.
Spread silk or woolen cloth and place the deities on it. Wash and dry three clothes in one part of the Devdwara. One of them should be for wiping the deities and the other should be for wiping your hands. Soak the third cloth in fragrance. This will make the cloth wet automatically. Wipe the deities with this wet cloth and dry it. After the completion of the puja and the Tirtha and Nirmalya Visarjan, wash all the three clothes and put them to dry at the previous place. After that, clean the place in front of the deities and make Rangoli.
Keep the photo of Ishtadevata in the place of worship for meditation and Tratak. No other photo should be kept there except Ishtadevata. The devotee whose Ishtadevata and Kuldevta are the same, he should keep an idol of both and a photo in front of Ishtadevata. In this way, the temple should be clean and ideal. The worship of such a devotee gradually becomes more and more fruitful and an auspicious atmosphere is created in the house.
