Once through with pooja, it is often a question as to what exactly to do with the samagri. It is often a misled behaviour when people tend to throw the remains of these pooja items into their nearby rivers. While the flowers and leaves don’t create much damage, plastic items, cloths and wrappers act as harmful pollutants.
Reports suggest that ancient vedic scriptures claim that the pooja leftovers must never be mixed with common home waste. But is it actually true?
Astrologer Dr. Virender Sahni, in an exclusive conversation with Times Now Digital said, “Throwing away pooja samagri without respect can indeed have a negative impact. Since this samagri embodies the energy and intention of the rituals performed, carelessly discarding it can disrupt the spiritual harmony we seek through worship.”
Traditionally, discarding samagri in rivers was acceptable, but today, with the increase in pollution, this practice is no longer suitable. Instead, respectful disposal methods, such as burial or recycling through designated temple systems, align with our intentions and preserve the positive energy of our offerings.
Astrologer Virender said listed a few ways to respectfully dispose the samagri without pollution the river. He said, “Rather than discarding it as waste, we should handle it with reverence. Burying items like idols or photos in the earth is a respectful method, ideally with a plant or tree growing above them to honor their spiritual connection is one of the many ways. Designated areas at temples or religious places for storing or recycling pooja samagri would also be beneficial. Additionally, flowers and other biodegradable items can be recycled or composted to return them to the environment positively.”
He further explained how it is essential to treat pooja samagri differently from regular waste. “Ensure that items like idols, photos, or significant objects are buried rather than thrown away, which allows their energy to return to the earth element respectfully,” he explained.
Disposing of pooja samagri in rivers is discouraged due to pollution concerns, as these practices were designed when rivers were cleaner. If no temple facilities are available, a dry well can also be used to respectfully place certain items.