The Ganga River has been considered the most sacred river of India in the Puranas. It is called as Ganga Maa (or Mother Ganga) or Ganga ji (or reverend Ganga). People of India believe that a bath in the holy waters of Ganga washes all the past sins of a person. Numerous pilgrimages such as Allahabad, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, and Patna are present all along the river.
Water from the Ganga is used to cleanse any place or object for ritual purposes. Bathing in the river is believed to wash away one’s all sins. The word Ganga is considered a synonym of pure and holy water. That is why the word is attached with the names of many other rivers in Central and South India. According to a mythological legend, Lord Brahma collected the sweat of Lord Vishnu's feet and created Ganga.
Being touched by two members of the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh), Ganga became very holy. The other synonyms of Ganga are Vishnu Padee (as the river is said to have originated from the feet of Lord Vishnu), Mandakini, Devnadi, Sursari, Tripathga, Jahanvi, Bhagirathi, etc. As mentioned in Mahabharat, when Bhishm was about to die, Arjuna was said to have extracted groundwater, namely, Patalganga, by shooting an arrow that made a hole in the ground and created a fountain.
First and foremost, Ganga has always been regarded as a goddess. Whatever brought her to Earth – a curse or a request from a distressed man – she has always been divine to her faithful.
Her form is godly – four arms, three eyes (to view the past, the present, and the future), the well-ornamented, crescent moon adorning her crown, carrying a lotus in one hand, a jar of jewels in another, draped in a saree, fanned by a lady carrying a yak-tail fan and another holding a white umbrella over her head.
The goddess rides a Makara – a mythical creature, half crocodile and half fish. The Ganga is said to have streams in the heavens, hell, and, on Earth.
In India, as the evening twilight starts, there is a very special and spiritual ritual that takes place at three major places – Rishikesh, Varanasi, and Haridwar. What is the meaning and history behind this everyday ritual called Ganga Aarti? This ritual is done devotionally by using fire, lamps, and chants near the ghats of the River Ganga.
Moreover, it becomes illuminated especially when the small earthen lamps called ‘diya’ are lit with a small fire and some oil and floated onto the river Ganges along with flowers. This offering to Goddess Ganga considered as the sacred river in the country takes place with great significance, especially on the Ganga Dusshera that falls in the middle of the calendar year.
It is believed that Maa Ganga, during this time came down from heaven into the world. A great aarti takes place on a particularly extravagant scale in Varanasi near the end of each year on Kartik Purnima (Dev Deepawali). Over here there is even an early sunrise Ganga Aarti in Varanasi, organized by Subah-e-Banaras. The Haridwar Ganga Aarti is performed at the ghat named Har-Ki-Pauri.
The name of this ghat means "Feet of the Lord". A footprint on a fence there's said to belong to Lord Vishnu. In terms of spiritual importance, Har-ki-Pauri is taken into account to be like Dashashwamedh Ghat where the aarti takes place in Varanasi. It has a location of spiritual significance and equivalent because the Varanasi Ganga Aarti isn't as flamboyant and staged. Yet, it's quite the spiritual circus: people, pandits, babas, idols of varied gods, loudspeakers, clanging bells, singing, incense, flowers, and flames.
The mother Ganga and the offering performed to the river are as ancient as mythology. The specific place where the river contacts the earth is known as ‘Gangotri’. It is believed that the ‘daughter of heaven’ known as Ganga descended down to earth from heaven. Also, she changed into a river in order to wash the sins of the predecessors of King Bhagirath.
The description of Ganga is available in Rigveda also. Several legends are famous about the origin of Ganga. It is said that the Ganga originated from the feet of Lord Vishnu. According to the second legend, Ganga was the daughter of mountain king Himalaya. As per Devi Bhagwat, Ganga has been called the wife of Lord Vishnu. According to Mahabharat, Ganga was the wife of King Shantanu as well as the mother of Bhishm.
According to a legend in the Ramayana, Sagara, the king of Ayodhya who had sixty thousand sons, once performed Ashvamegh yagya (a ritual for the good of his kingdom and to demonstrate his supremacy). During the rituals, the horse which is an integral part of the ritual, was stolen by the jealous Indra and placed in the ashram (hermitage) of saint Kapila. Sagara sent all his sons all over the earth to search for the horse.
They found it in the nether world, in the ashram of saint Kapila. Assuming that the sage had stolen the horse, they hurled insults at him and interrupted his meditation. The saint became very angry and burnt all sixty thousand boys to death by the fire from his eyes. Since the final rites of these boys could not be performed, their souls continued to wander as ghosts.
After many generations, Bhagiratha a descendant of Sagara, learnt about the fate of his ancestors and he vowed to bring Ganga to Earth so that her holy water could be used to liberate the souls of his ancestors and release them to heaven.
King Bhagirath left his kingdom to meditate and prey the Ganga River who was residing in the heavens to descend to the earth. Ganga could come down to the earth only after Lord Brahma (the Supreme God) permitted her to do so. Accordingly, Bhagirath prayed at a place in Uttarkashi where the Gangotri temple is situated these days. He prayed to Lord Brahma for a thousand years, requesting him to permit Goddess Ganga to come down to earth from heaven because only Ganga could release his ancestors’ souls and allow them to go to heaven.
On account of the deep devotion of Bhagirath, ultimately Lord Brahma was pleased with him and granted his wish. But He told Bhagirath to pray to Lord Shiva, who alone could sustain the huge force of descent of Ganga. Accordingly, King Bhagirath prayed to Lord Shiva who, after some time, agreed to hold Ganga in his hair. Accordingly, Ganga descended from the heavens on Lord Shiva’s head and was soon trapped in his thick locks.
In the process, the river water got further purified. One the request of King Bhagirath, Lord Shiva opened one of the locks and the river reached the Earth. It is said that Ganga followed the chariot of Bhagirath to the place where the ashes of his ancestors were lying and released them from the curse.
An alert reader will notice that this legend is a simple description of the hydrologic cycle. Perhaps King Bhagirath was an ancient civil engineer or a hydrologist. Since Bhagirath brought Ganga to Earth, one headwater stream of Ganga is known as Bhagirathi. Further, the Hindi term Bhagirath prayas describes the valiant efforts or difficult achievements of a person.
Ganga is also known by another name: Jahnavi. According to a different mythological story, when Ganga came down to earth a long time ago, her fast-moving waters created turbulence and destroyed crops in the fields. She also disturbed the meditation of a saint named Jahnu. Now, Jahnu was so much angry that he drank up all the water Ganga. This made the Devtas (semi-Gods) very sad and they prayed to Jahnu to release Ganga so that she could proceed on her mission. After their persistent prayers, Jahnu was pleased and he released Ganga water through his ears. On account of this, Ganga came to be known by the name “Jahnavi” (daughter of Jahnu) also.
Since the ancient period, Ganga along with her twin sister, Yamuna, is visualized by the artists as a beautiful divine female, who sanctifies the sacred space of the temple. Sculpted in stone, the ancient icons of Ganga set an iconographical example for the later artists, who derived from the early texts and arts.
Goddess Ganga | Painting by Sukanta Das
The Gupta period (4th to 6th century CE) marked a zenith in Indian art, characterized by its refined and elegant style. Sculptures from this era often depicted Ganga and Yamuna, the twin river goddesses, as attendants to Vishnu or as doorkeepers (dvarapalas) of temples. They are typically portrayed as voluptuous female figures adorned with jewelry, seated on their respective mounts – a crocodile for Ganga and a turtle for Yamuna. These sculptures often exhibit a serene and divine beauty, reflecting the ideals of the Gupta period.
The subsequent centuries witnessed the rise of grand temple architecture, particularly in North India. The temple gateways, or toranas, became canvases for elaborate sculptural narratives. Ganga continued to be a prominent figure, often depicted in the central panel of the doorway. These sculptures are more dynamic and expressive than their Gupta counterparts, with the goddess often shown as a flowing, energetic figure, sometimes accompanied by attendants and mythical creatures.
The early medieval period (7th to 12th century CE) saw a proliferation of temples across India, each with its unique style. Ganga’s depiction evolved further during this period. She is often shown emerging from the mouth of a makara, a mythical aquatic creature, symbolizing her descent from the heavens. The sculptures become more complex, with intricate details and dramatic poses.
The Rajput period (15th to 19th century CE) brought a shift from sculptural to pictorial representations. Miniature paintings, with their delicate brushwork and vibrant colors, offered a new perspective on the goddess. Ganga is often portrayed as a beautiful woman, adorned with exquisite jewelry and seated on a cloud or a lotus. The paintings depict her in idyllic landscapes, surrounded by celestial beings and often engaged in divine activities. The serene and poetic quality of these paintings captures the ethereal nature of the goddess.
The epithet "Mokshadayini" translates to "giver of liberation" and is bestowed upon Ganga due to her profound significance in the Hindu belief system. Bathing in the holy waters of Ganga is considered to purify the soul and absolve one of their sins. It is believed that a dip in the Ganga can even liberate one from the cycle of rebirth (samsara). The concept of Ganga as Mokshadayini is deeply intertwined with the mythology of her descent.
It is said that the intense heat generated by her fall from heaven could have incinerated the earth. To mitigate this, Lord Shiva intercepted the celestial waters in his matted locks, allowing them to trickle down gradually. This tempered the river's power, making it suitable for human consumption and spiritual purification.
The artistic representations of Ganga, from the serene sculptures of the Gupta period to the vibrant paintings of the Rajput era, have played a crucial role in reinforcing the goddess's status as a life-giving and liberating force. By depicting her in various forms and contexts, artists have contributed to the enduring reverence for the River Ganga in the hearts of millions.
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