Before Ganpati immersion, devotees whisper wishes in his ear, and flowers get a second life
Before Ganpati's immersion, devotees whisper their wishes into his ear, and leftover puja flowers can be reused as compost, potpourri and craft material.
In Hindu tradition, Lord Ganesha is regarded as the deity of wisdom, knowledge and the remover of obstacles. This is why, before the immersion, devotees quietly whisper their innermost wishes into Bappa's ear. Behind this practice lies the devotees' faith that doing so carries their wishes and feelings directly to the deity.
Just before the immersion, the wish is whispered softly into Bappa's ear, along with a prayer that he fulfil the wish and remove all obstacles in life. Folk tradition also holds that whispering the wish into a particular ear of Ganesha is considered more auspicious. According to both religious belief and folk tradition, the right side is associated with auspiciousness in many traditions, which is why the practice of whispering wishes into Bappa's right ear is believed to have come about.
While making their wish, devotees speak their heart's desire to Bappa with complete devotion. Some seek success in a particular endeavour, some pray for a job, while others pray for progress in business or for peace and happiness at home. Some devotees also ask to be freed from a particular difficulty.
After the puja is over, homes are left with large quantities of flowers used in garlands and decorations. Instead of throwing away flowers such as roses, marigold and hibiscus, they can be reused to make compost, fragrant potpourri for the home, natural dyes and decorative items. Here are a few simple ways to reuse these leftover flowers after the puja.
The simplest use for leftover flowers is to turn them into compost. For this, first separate out any thread, wire, plastic or other non-biodegradable material from the flowers. Then cut the flowers into small pieces and mix them into compost or organic waste. Over time, these flowers decompose to form good organic compost.
Another method is to make fragrant potpourri. Instead of discarding fresh flowers, they can be dried well and turned into potpourri. To do this, spread the flower petals on a tray, dry them thoroughly, and then store them in an attractive bowl or glass container.
Dried or wilted flowers left over after the puja are also useful, and can be used at home to make fragrant items such as incense. However, when making such items, it is important to know the materials being used correctly and to keep safety in mind. Flower petals can also be used to make beautiful floral art crafts, for which the petals are placed between the pages of a book and left pressed for a few days.
