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Thousands take dip in Ganga on Ganga Dussehra

     Varanasi: Thousands of people thronged the banks of Ganga here to take a dip on the auspicious ocassion of Ganga Dussehra, which celebrates the birth of the holy river. Devotees believe it was on this day that the Ganga came down to earth for the good of mankind in an answer to the great prayer of Bhagirath after whom she is also called Bhagirathi. Bhagirath, a descendant of the Sagara dynasty, prayed for the Ganga to descend onto the parched earth and bring life. The sacred ocassion is seen as a regenaration of mankind.The spiritual aspects combine with the force of the holy river to rejuvenate a whole new world. "Today, it is the ocassion of Ganga Dussehra.

   It is celebrated on Jyeshtha according to the Hindu calendar (May- June) and the first 10 days or the Dashmi are devoted to worship of the river Ganga. The Ganga is the epitome of our culture and there is a spiritual contact between the people and the Ganga," said Paramhans Mishra, a priest. The festival is called Dussehra which is derived from 'Dus' which connotes ten and ' hara' which means defeat.The Ganges rises at Gangotri and cascading down, it flows into the plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and finally meets in the Bay of Bengal. At Allahabad, the Ganga merges with the river Yamuna and the river Saraswati. The confluence of these rivers which is known as Prayag, is considered one of the most holy spots on earth. But today, the importance of this holy river has long been forgotten. The young generation is loosing its grip on the culture of India. "The excitement is less among the youth than expected. On this day, Gangaji descended on the earth. The ocassion has a singificance in Kashi since it is known as the land of Lord Shiva.Some young people do not even know what is Ganga Dussehra and what is it's significance," said Ananya, kuthak dancer. Brahma and Vishnu asked Shiva to accept the Ganges into his matted locks. Confined in Shiva's hair, Ganga lost the force of her flow and transformed into a life-giving river. Many sacred cities are situated along her banks of which Varanasi or Kashi is the most sacred. It is believed that if a person takes a dip into the Ganges,then all his sins will be wiped away. In spite of the growing pollution, the Ganges is a symbol of purity and its water gives salvation to the dying and bestows new life to the living. The devotees offer prayers on the ocassion and organise cultural programmes to celebrate the brith of the Ganges.
-June 17, 2005