The scriptures say that a broken idol is no longer worshipped, yet it must never be dishonoured either. It should be immersed in water, in earth, or at some sacred place. In modern cities this is difficult to do — which is precisely why a metro like Delhi needs an organised idol immersion service.
1. When should an idol be immersed?
If any part of the idol has broken, the colour has completely worn off, the metal has rusted, or a clay figure has cracked, immersion is considered appropriate. Similarly, if your home has accumulated many idols of the same deity, it is wiser to book an idol immersion service for the extra ones.
2. What to do before the immersion
Bathe the idol with clean water, offer sandalwood and unbroken rice, light a lamp and ask for forgiveness, then wrap it in white or yellow cloth. When the Prabhu Seva Rath team reaches your home in Delhi, simply hand over that cloth-wrapped idol to them.
3. What you should never do
Do not leave idols under trees, beside drains, in dustbins or near railway tracks. This is not only disrespectful, it also adds to the litter on Delhi roads and to the pollution in the Yamuna. With a free idol immersion service available, there is simply no need for it.
4. Environment and the idol immersion service
Idols made of plaster of Paris and chemical paints do not dissolve in water. Our team therefore separates every item by material — clay idols go into the designated immersion kund, metal idols go to a temple metal collection, and glass and frames are separated safely. In this way our idol immersion service honours both faith and the environment.
5. Special arrangements during festivals
After Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Durga Puja and Vishwakarma Puja, idols pile up in hundreds of societies across Delhi NCR. On such occasions we deploy extra vehicles and volunteers to run a group idol immersion service. A society RWA can arrange this for an entire complex with a single phone call.
6. How you can support this seva
This idol immersion service runs on donations and volunteers. You can join as a volunteer, contribute towards fuel, or put up a notice in your society to spread awareness. Every family in Delhi that wants to honour its deities is already part of this movement.
