CM Fadnavis Performs Eco-Friendly Ganesh Visarjan at Varsha
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
With a prayer on his lips and family by his side, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis bid farewell to Lord Ganesha on Friday, 25 September 2026, performing an eco-friendly immersion at his official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai — marking the close of one of Maharashtra's most beloved festivals.
Sharing the moment on X in Marathi, Fadnavis began with a traditional parting verse: 'Nirop gheto Deva amha aadnya asavi, chukale amuche kahi tyachi kshamaa asavi' — 'We take your leave, O Lord, grant us your permission; forgive us if we erred in any way.' The lines, rooted in centuries of Maharashtrian devotional tradition, set the tone for a post that was personal, reflective, and quietly public in equal measure.
A farewell from Varsha, with family
The Chief Minister noted that the immersion was conducted with family members at Varsha, the official CM residence, using eco-friendly methods — a deliberate choice that mirrors Maharashtra's broader push to reduce the environmental footprint of Ganesh Chaturthi. Traditional plaster-of-Paris idols and chemical dyes have long been flagged as threats to rivers and coastlines; successive state administrations have actively promoted clay idols and designated immersion tanks as greener alternatives.
Fadnavis described his state of mind in the days leading up to Visarjan as one of deep absorption in devotion — 'Bappaachya bhaktit ramalele man' — and wrote that the moment of farewell moved him. Yet his framing was deliberately hopeful rather than elegiac: the immersion, he said, is not separation but 'a new beginning, with new hopes and new resolutions.'
Renewal over farewell — a message woven into the ritual
That reframing — Visarjan as arrival of possibility, not departure — is as old as the festival itself, but it carries particular resonance when voiced from the seat of Maharashtra's government. Fadnavis closed with a prayer that Bappa's grace and blessings remain upon all, and that every worry and obstacle in the lives of the people of Maharashtra be removed. The post ended with the signature chant: Ganpati Bappa Morya! Pudhachya varshi lavkar ya! — 'Lord Ganesha, come again soon next year!'
Maharashtra has the largest and most elaborate Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in India, with the festival holding deep cultural and historical significance in the state. The tradition of public leaders sharing their Visarjan observances has become a fixture of the season, connecting governance with community ritual in a state where the two have always been intertwined.
As the idols return to the water and the city exhales, the Chief Minister's message is simple and certain: Bappa will return — and so will the resolve to serve.