Significance
The
fourth and final day of Saraswati Pooja during Navratri is known as Saraswati
Visarjana day. Saraswati Visarjana is also known as Saraswati Udvasana. In Goa,
Maharashtra and Karnataka, Saraswati Pooja starts with Saraswati Avahan on Maha
Saptami and ends on Vijayadashami with Saraswati Udasan or Visarjana (the day
depends on individual customs at different places).
History
Saraswati
is found in almost every major ancient and medieval Indian literature. She has
remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic age through modern times of
Hindu traditions. In Shanti Parva of
the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Saraswati is called the ‘mother of Vedas’, and
later as the celestial creative symphony who appeared when Brahma created the
universe. In Taittiriya Brahmana, she
is called the ‘mother of eloquent speech and melodious music’. Saraswati is the
active energy and power of Brahma.
Rituals
At
the beginning of Goddess Saraswati pooja, the presiding deity is first invoked
in a murti for the purpose of
worship. At the end of the pooja, the presiding deity (Saraswati) is requested
to depart from the murti.
"Visarjana" is a Sanskrit word that refers to this final rite and act
of respectfully requesting departure. The murti
is viewed as a temporary body and is then returned to Nature by submersion into
running water, such as a lake, river or the sea. The act is not necessary for
inaugurated (pratishthita) permanent murtis
found in Hindu temples.
People in Karnataka, in general, keep noble books at their home in the pooja griha and worship them imagining Goddess is there in books. They worship the books with a little bit turmeric, kunkum and offer flowers to it assuming that they are offering flowers to mother Saraswati. Only after ‘visarjana’ they take those books back.