Ganga Puja – June 08, 2014

This is the day of descent of mother Ganges. Throughout India this festival lasts for ten days beginning on the Amavasya (dark moon night) and ending the day before Pandava Nirjala Ekadashi.

"Festivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of Jyeshtha. River Ganga is worshipped as a mother as well as a Goddess, particularly by people of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal through which the river flows. On this day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river Ganga, then Ganga jal (water) kept in most Hindu homes is used for purification. A bath in the river is said to purify one of all sins. The river Ganga is revered all over India.

Initially, river Ganga flowed in the heavens. She was brought down to earth by the severe penances of sage Bhagiratha and that is why she is also called Bhagirathi.

King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara performed severe austerities before his wives could bear sons. But whereas Keshani gave birth to a son called Asmajas, Sumati bore 60,000 sons. Sagara performed the Ashwamedha sacrifice to declare his suzerainty over the neighbouring kingdoms.

According to the prevalent custom, the sacrificial horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the neighbouring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decided the winner. The 60,000 sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw him enter a cavern where sage Kapila was meditating. Not seeing the horse in the cavern, they presumed that Kapila had captured it. They did not kill Kapila as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditation. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kapila with a curse burnt the 60,000 sons of Sagara.

Since neither the horse nor his soldiers returned, King Sagara became anxious. He sent his grandson Anshuman to search for them. Kapila Muni told Anshuman the whole story. Anshuman asked, “How can the sin of the king’s boys be destroyed?”

Kapila Muni answered, “They will be saved if the water of the Ganga will flow over this land.”

Anshuman tried but did not succeed in bringing the Ganga down to the earth. Then his son Dilip also tried, but without success. Finally his son Bhagiratha after performing terrible austerities managed to bring down the Ganga to this earth. Mother Ganga was pleased with Bhagiratha, but asked him to obtain consent of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva agreed to take the burden of bringing the Ganga on earth. Thus on the tenth day of the bright half of Jyeshtha, Mother Ganga began to flow from heaven to the matted hair of Lord Shiva, and from the hair of Lord Shiva she began to flow on this earth. In this way the children of Sagara were saved. For this reason the Ganges is also known as the Bhagirathi.

According to the Agni Purana and Padma Purana, the Ganga descended to the earth on Ganga Dussehra day and a bath in the holy river on this day is said to purify one of all sins. To die on the banks of the Ganga is considered most auspicious. If that is not possible, then the immersion of the ashes after cremation in the river Ganga is a must, as it then releases one from the cycle of birth and death.