GANGA DUSSEHRA

 

                   A  Hindu festival celebrating Avatarana (descent) of the Holy Ganga

                According to the Hindu Scriptures, Ganga Dussehra is of great significance among

Hindus. Ganga Dussehra is also known as Ganga Avataran day that means the descendant day of Goddess Ganga. The onset of the monsoon is celebrated as Ganga-Dussehra. Ganga is regarded as a living Goddess on earth. It is believed that Goddess Ganga wash away all the sins, who take a holy, dip in Ganga on the day of Ganga Dussehra. It falls on the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Jyeshta and celebrates the flowing of the holy Ganga at the request of King Bhagirath. As stated in the Narad Purana, Uttara-bhaga 40.21: “It was on the tenth day in the bright half of the month Jyeshta, when the day of the week was Tuesday and the constellation was Hasta, Ganga descended to the mortal world.”                

              According to a legend there was the king named Sagara who had 60,000 sons who were looking out for a lost horse for the Ashwamedha Yagya that was tied near the Ashram of Sage Kapil by God Indra. The 60,000 sons said to have created a lot of commotion which disturbed the meditating Sage Kapila and in anger when the sage opened his eyes, he burned them to ashes. He told them the touch of the holy water Ganga would only give them the Moksha. As per the legend, one of the descendants of King Sagara, named Bhagiratha performed austerity to gratify Brahma and asked him to send Ganga on earth. But Lord Brahma replied saying that the King needs to pray to Lord Shiva as it is difficult for him to bring Ganga to the earth because of the rage flow. Then, king Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva, who was content with his prayers. The velocity of Ganga from heaven to earth was high, to reduce this velocity, Lord Shiva held the Ganga in his jatas before Ganga came down to the earth. Goddess Ganga came down to earth in seven streams and washed down all the ashes of Bhagiratha ancestors and thus, purified the soul of his ancestors and allowed them to attain salvation. Since then, the tradition of worshipping Mother Ganga began on this day. Bathing in river Ganga is of special importance on this day.

            The festival of Ganga Dussehra is celebrated every year on the Dashmi of the Jyeshta month.  ‘Ganga Dashara, held over the first 10 days of the month of Jyeshta (in June), celebrates Gangavataran - the descent of the Ganga to earth. Regarded as a celestial river originating in the heavens, she is worshipped as the mother who washes away all the sins of mankind. The Ganga Dashara is regarded as the birthday of the Ganga and bathing in the water is believed to destroy sins of ten lifetimes’. (Eck 1996:143-144)

        The Narad Purana (Uttara-bhaga 38.17-19) describes when and where Ganga manifests herself within the three planetary systems during the Vedic calendar month: “In the beginning of the dark half of the month, Ganga is present on the earth for ten days ending with sacred Amavasya (New Moon) day. From the first to the tenth of the bright half of the month, she is present in the netherworlds. Beginning with the eleventh day in the bright half and ending with the fifth day in the dark half, she is always present in heaven for ten days."

            Ganga-Dashara/Dussehra means "Ganga destorys ten", so devotees bathe in the Ganga ten days prior to this day which destroys the sins of ten lifetimes.  In one Vedic story, Indra combats the serpent Vrtra that has trapped the celestial waters and by defeating Vrtra releases the sacred Ganga waters (Eck 1996:143).             

          Traditional beliefs suggest that devotees can rid themselves of the sins they may have committed during their lifetime by taking a dip in the sacred waters of the river. They can also seek salvation (Moksha) from the vicious cycle of birth, life and death. And since Ganga appeared first on the Dashami Tithi, the day is deemed significant.     

          Ganga Dussehra is an important bathing day. A big Mela is held in Haridwar from this day until the full moon the fifteenth of Jyeshta. This is attended by large number of Hindus from different states of India and abroad.  Devotees, flock to the ghats of Prayagraj, Garhmukteshwar, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Varanasi on Ganga Dussehra to take a dip in Ganga and start the day by offering Puja to the Goddess. In the evening earthen lamps are floated in the river along with the singing of devotional songs by the devotees. They also take part in the Ganga Aarti. 

 

A WISH OF GANGA WORSHIPERS!

 Among all hymns devoted to the Ganga, there are none more popular than the ones expressing the worshipers wish to breathe his last surrounded by her waters.  The Gangashtakam expresses this longing fervently:

O Mother! ... Necklace adorning the worlds! 
Banner rising to heaven! 
I ask that I may leave of this body on your banks,
Drinking your water, rolling in your waves, 
Remembering your name, bestowing my gaze upon you.

(Excerpts from the book Ganga Tirthas compiled by Chaman Lal Gadoo)