'Ganga Maiya' or Mather Ganges ls a testimony to the immutable undercurrent af Indian thought, spirituality €s philosophy. French writer and photographer, ëdfred$$e-f*sqpe fffi e G${éeer***ec, -;b Il ow s this s acred riuer's course to liue the experience... dream lands rom its source glacier to the delta…no river in the world plays a more important religious, economic, social Fand cultural role in the lives of the people than the Ganges. Guided by its mesmerising course, we take a journey along its wonderful and generous waters that bathe the earth and fertilise the hearts of fervent men. An initiatory journey he Ganga beckons pilgrims from TIndia and the entire world. Leaving the holy city of Haridwar, near the Himalayas, the author, a devout herself, undertook the pilgrimage towards Chardham, the four spiritual centres in Uttaranchal, then onwards to the venerable sources at the glacier yogis. After a brief stopover in Sometimes calm, sometimes of Gaumukh, dominated by the Allahabad, the ancient Prayag, we fervent, the Ganges unfolds her glittering summit Shivaling (6,500m). stayed for a while in Varanasi, the abundant waters in the course of the Descending towards the lowlands, mysterious ‘Kashi’ city of light, four seasons. Her banks are chiselled we followed the destiny of the river entwined by its mazes that have been gracefully in the unpredictable and its tributaries to 'Panchaprayag,’ witness to sacred rites of passage since geographical curves, at times the confluence of five places towards millenniums. Finally we took to the sharpened, narrow and deep and at Rishikesh, the ancient city of road towards Bengal and finally Ganga- others made vast across the Sagar, where the dispersed waters of indomitable expanse. the river merged with the ocean, in the vastness of eternity… The story of Ganga, Bhagirath and Shiva The enchantment of a river anga, the adopted daughter of source of resplendent life, the GLord Brahma, led a carefree life in AGanga has never ceased to svarga loka (heavens), until the inspire hearts in mythical odes, immolation of 60,000 sons of the symbols and in art since the beginning powerful King Sagara, reduced to of humanity. Her celestial origin and cinders by the fire from the third eye of labyrinthine course covers over a the great Sage Kapila enraged for being distance of over 2,700 kilometres. disturbed while in meditation. The Multitudes of pilgrims throng her king, on the verge of becoming the banks at large holy cities, to perform master of the Earth, suddenly lost the ritual bath and pujas. Every peace … Following a long and severe evening, at sunset, thousands of fire penitence to achieve redemption for lamps are set afloat on the river in his forefathers, Bhagirath, the 7th obeisance to the celebrated waters. descendent of King Sagara, invoked Mythically rising from Mount Brahma to grant the cleansing effects Kailash, the fabled residence of Shiva of the Ganga to the Earth, in an effort to the glacier of Gaumukh (3,950m) to put an end to its mortal destiny. the sources of Bhagirathi-Ganga, her Touched by the burning devotion the streams multiply in the Himalayan of Bhagirath, the celestial Goddess valley before descending to irrigate the agreed to go down to Earth. However, Indo-Gangetic plains and later merging Shiva, the supreme yogi, resident of with the delta at the Bay of Bengal. Mount Kailash, blessed by the Gods, 00 INCREDIBLE celebrated by the sages/rishis, was invoked to hold the force of her descent in his chignon. Since then, Ganga runs amok through the hair of Shiva before her impetuous waters touch Earth, to cleanse devotees who come in contact with her. Yogis, saints and sadhus … Mystic wanderers n India reside exceptional beings Iwho have abandoned ordinary life and the pleasures of material gains on Earth. Following the example of Shiva, who meditated on the summit of Mount Kailash, they devote themselves in body and soul to practices of asceticism and meditation. These beings - saints, sâdhus and yogis - transferred profoundly by alchemy and pranic energy, tie their locks in a huge chignon and wear rudraksha necklace, reminiscent of the supreme ascetic. Attired in saffron or white, one can see these mendicants walking alone with pristine devotion on arid tracks. The most ascetic of mendicants reside in forests and inaccessible caves in the Himalayas. These solitary beings descend on rare occasions’ like the Khumba mela at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain or Nasik, once every 12 years... The tradition of pilgrimage ndia has always had the spiritual Itradition of pilgrimage that every man aspires to undertake at some point in his life, in gratitude to the Gods, to invoke blessings for a desire or in search of spiritual centres. The Himalayas which are fabled residences of the Gods are a favoured destination for spiritual peregrination. Shallow mountain streams become sacred, tirtha, likely to bring an internal transformation of the being. Head towards the Ganga, meditate on Gather water at source and her banks, have a ritual bath, give tradition of kanvad offerings, walk along towards the ertain months are dedicated to source…it provides a spiritual high Crituals and pilgrimages. The and a means to fulfil aspirations and a month of Shravan (mid July to mid dream that is part of an accomplished August) is devoted to a pilgrimage for life for many. Shiva. A tradition invites pilgrims to SEPTEMBER 2006 H INCREDIBLE INDIA 00 dream lands walk to the source of the Ganga and collect the holy water, Gangajal, for their home or village shrines. Over days the pilgrims called kanvadiye walk to the source at Gaumukh and return after collecting the water in cans tied to their waists or on two ends of a stick balancing it on their shoulders. The water from the revered source must never touch earth before being placing it at the shrine. Haridwar: At the foot of the Himalayas ocated at the foot of the THimalayas, Haridwar or Hardwar is one of the principal holy cities of India. This ancient city is a reference to Hari-Vishnu and Hara-Shiva, both supreme divinities in the Hindu pantheon, as indeed a doorway to the Himalayas, the abode of the Gods. A immense channel for easy access to the Mandakini, one reaches Alakananda point of departure on the pilgrim’s sacred water. quickly to arrive at Badrinath (3,096m) route, to the source of the Ganga! … During certain festivals destined by with its colourful temple devoted to Many temples dedicated to Vishnu the lunar calendar, such as the Khumba Lord Vishnu. A pilgrimage to the and Ganga were built at the edge of the mela, tens of thousands of pilgrims highest reaches of Uttaranchal is pure river for veneration, including an troop into Haridwar for the ritual bath. enchantment for the heart and the Each evening, the sunset is celebrated spirit. with the enchanting Aarti at Harki Pauri. Gaumukh – The call of the Chardhams or high spiritual places sources… in the Himalayas rom Gangotri, where the imilar to the four saintly places Finterstitial waters of Bhagirathi- Sestablished by the revered Adi- Ganga resound, 27 kilometres remain Shankaracharya, saint and philosopher to be traversed for Gaumukh by an at four cardinal points of India, there altitude path, where the scenic beauty exist four places of sacred importance, is spellbinding. A stopover for the chardham, in the Himalayas. In night is a must in the splendid valley of affiliation to the sacred river these are Bhojbhasa at 3,800 meters, dominated all located at more than 3,000 meters: by magisterial white peaks. Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Once again ascending towards the Badrinath. source, under the watchful diamantine Tradition demands that one start peak, Shivaling which dominates at their pilgrimage at the temple to the 6,542 meters, pilgrims have installed west, Yamunotri and finish the circle small sanctuaries dedicated to Shiva. going eastwards to Badrinath. Pilgrims The path is precarious and almost non- commence their voyage at Yamunotri existent. Suddenly, in the distance the (3,200m), the revered source of the glacier appears. We advanced, with Yamuna, then onwards to Gangotri at bated breath to contemplate closely, 3,048m. Finally one must hit the road the birth of the perennial water that again to reach the high altitude temple spouts out at more than 3,900 meters dedicated to Shiva, Kedarnath from the `Mouth of the cow’, at (3,584m). Leaving the valley of Gaumukh… Bhagirathi-Ganga is born! 00 INCREDIBLE INDIA H SEPTEMBER 2006 dream lands The junction of five places or combines with Mandakini at the foot Bengal. Since Vedic times, the wise Panchaprayag of the temple dedicated to Shiva- and renowned rishis took meditative eaving Badrinath under an Rudra. Finally, at Deoprayag, the fifth residence in the neighbouring foliage Labundant monsoon rain, we again junction, Ganga takes its maiden name of mysterious forests. Their disciples went down the narrow valley for the first time, the alliance of lived in ashrams close to their eminent prodigiously chiselled by the Bhagirathi and Alakanada. Hence, masters to be initiated into the Alakananda. At strategic points of the Ganga hurls towards the plains in a extraordinary thousand-year-old valley one crosses immense cascades, powerful torrent. exercise, yoga. where Alakananda comes in confluence Ayurveda, the science of longevity, with the water of five rivers going Rishikesh: The ancient city of the was taught and practised here by down the Himalayas, the wise Rishis’ and yogis medical experts who battled all evils panchaprayag. ith the strong and rich surge of Vishnu Prayag is the first junction Wwater recently gathered of the where the waters of the Dhauli Ganga pristine melted snow, the Ganga joins, then the rivers Nandakini and deploys her torrent in the valley of Pindar Ganga come together at Nanda Rishikesh.