Religion Thesis Swarthmore College
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PILGRIMAGE TO GANGOTRI, Himalayan Source of the River Ganga Religion Thesis Swarthmore College Christopher A. Scott May 10' 1985 I PREFACE 'I became interested in pilgrimage more than two years ago when I visited the source of the Ganges River (Ganga) in the first two weeks of June. A bibliography of background material had been put together in consultation with my advisor, Dr. Donald Swearer. Such an approach to interpreting pilgrimage I a socioreligious institution that occurs in all major historical religíons, synthesizes the analytic with the contextual. The ain has been to put the narrative of my pilgrimage in a broader perspective. In "Text and Context in the Study of Contemporary Hinduism, " Milton Singer stresses the need for interpretive work that applies textual research to field observations. the Introduction opens with a characterization of I{indu pilgrimage I have derived from academic research. However, the degree of abstraction of the discussion should be balanced by the specific categories I introduce for types of centers and the special spiritual function performed by pilgrimage. I should note here my transcription of the Hindi rtirthr'ncomÍton1y written 'tÏrtha I --a Sanskrit transliteration. The introductory remarks represent an essentially introspective approach to the question of merit (punyã) and raise questions that require a broader societal perspective on pilgrimage. The social function of pilgrimage is examined after completion of the yãtrã to Gangotri. Narration of the pilgrimage along Ganga from Rishikesh to 2 Gangotri enters into discussions of important themes. Such paragraphs are set off from the narrative by justifying the right margin, such as in this paragraph. I look at the symbolism of water, of ritual bathing (snãn) in the river, and of the mountains. The unique combination of natural symbols draws pilgrims to Gangotri, which is not associated with any major deity but is a tÏrth renowned for its location at the glacial source of Ganga, high up in the Himalaya. A discussion of the relation between 'tourist' and 'pilgrim' aids in identifying the pilgrims from travelers or 1ocaI inhabitants. The narrative of the pilgrimage and observations I have recorded of Gangotri are set off from the more analytical paragraphs by changing to an open right margin. The observations are aI1 recorded in the present tense. For example: I have to express the sensatíon of being in Gangotri as powerfully as I can to give some idea of the reverence I feel for the river and mountains. We stay in &ht*, eat the vegetarian food they provide, and visit the temple for arati. During our time at the tîrthr w€ make acquaintanc e with several sannyãsTs (monk pilgrims) and sãarrüs (ascetics). Sadhus' relation to priests, in terms of the sanctity both give to a pilgrim center, is an issue I look at in some detail. In the context of conversations with sannyãsÏs about the mythical significance of Gangotri, I relate the myth of the descent of 3 Ganga. We then seek the glacial source at Goumukh (Cow's Mouth)r where I reflect on the origin of the river and of the life it represents. To distance ourselves from the crowdr wê trek over the glacier and climb to a meadow at the base of towering snowcapped peaks. Here, the feeling of liminality overcomes our group. I discuss liminality and communitas on a personal level and branch out to a broader societal perspective. At the end of the yãtrã I feel a sense of completion. Included is a glossary of Híndi and Sanskrit terms and their English equivalents. The thesis would not have been possible without the constant encouragement of Dr. Donald Swearer, who aided me in arranging the material in its current form. I remember with great emotion the two weeks spent with Witliam Reese and Rohit Trikha along the pilgrim trail--from Rishikesh past Gangotri to Tapoban and return. In addition, I would like to profusely thank Jagmohan Mahajan, Diana Eck, Susan Williamson, and David Scott' who aII contributed to the collection of literature on which this piece' in part, is based. I am grateful to Bhaskar Mani and Utz McKnight for reading and critiquing preliminary drafts of the thesis. Those persons I learned from along the yatra are lost to me now, though I must take this opportunity to recall thern to mind. 4 CHINA - INbIA ßoR.DáR MAP OF T'TEARKHAND N T{It'(ALAYA ßADR (At ATçt 7 ßh I- mr x Shìvlin1 ,8. A(¿k¡endo- , TA,PDBAN Rrv¿r trKH t¡tt. Kcdarna-th ,< (ed¿r REÞÊ\CÑ AT{.t Aarga qAñSørr¿t RwORAPRÀVA6 Fosrrtruus Bhaaìrc{hi Rtier I¡:fÍÀRKASH I DEVPRAVAG x YArtxcnpr Go,nXc River Pl5*(tr<EsH t{¡.eow*c Yo.m,.nn- R¡v¿r Pr-ArNs 5 INTRODUCTION Pilgrimage in India today ( tfrtrryãtrã, Iiterally journey to a sacred center) differs from common ternple pujã (worship) on several levels; namely, that the pilgrim separates him-/herself from the familíarity of home to achieve spiritual transformation, and that the merit field shifts from devotional worship to a renunciatory lifestyle. To phrase this notion more explicitly' tîrtfryãtrã is best described as an arduous journey to a place deemed sacred by the pilgrim. The sacred geography of India may be seen as concentrations t ot nodes, of pilgrim activity focused on two primary types of centers. The first is aI-tirth ¡ â sacred center on a river bank, ocean shore t ot kund (holy pond' lake). These sites derive their sanctity from natural symbols, Primarily jgf (water), parbat (mountain) and van (forest). Among pilgrimage sites of this type are Gangotri' Ganga Sagar (the estuary of Ganga on the Bay of Bengal) ' Rameshwaram' Prayag (rnodern Allahabad) and Kanya Kumari (Cape Comorin) to name but a few. The second type of center is mandir-tirth, or temple center. Due to the emphasis on bhakti (devotion) among so many Hindus, mandir-tlrth is perhaps the more pervasive of sacred centers. Devotees seek aarJan (auspicious sight) of the deity in the sanctum ( garbaqriha ) and perform various rites' aided by "sacred specialists" (Vidyarthi, L96L, p. 111). Northern 6 temples witfr large pilgrim fields, i.e.¡ geographical area of pilgrims' places of origin, include Badrinath (Badrinarain' (Vishwanath, Vishnu), Kashi's Golden Vishwanath Temple Shiva) ' and Pushkar (Brahma). South India has several maj or mandir-tirth centers: Tirupati (AyyapPa), Sabarimala (Ayyappa) and Guruvayur (Venkateshwar ) . Before proceeding, it should be made clear that 'jal' and 'mandir' are not mutualty exclusive categories when applied to sacred complexes, confi gurations of sacred tirths of varying degrees of sanctity. For examPle' the cities of Varanasi and Hardwar, major sacred comPlexes of pan-Ilindu significance, incorporate both types of tÏrths. The Himalayan region of Uttarkhand is also a sacred complex with two mandir shrines (Badrinath and Kedarnath) and two a1-t í r th centers (Gangotri and Yamnotri). Here, pilgrims bathe in sacred rivers and visit important temples, both as part of the same yãtrã. 'JaI' and 'mandir' establish a framewort *ithin which the entire phenomenon of Hindu pilgrimage is more readity interpreted. I Pilgrimage is both a journey into the sacred realm and a retreat from the mundane order. The pilgrirn seeks the "center" (Turner, L973r p. I92), where the divine is manifest. Away from the profane world of everyday affairs and its passage of time' the center is the meeting point of earth and heaven (Eliader 1961r p. zLl. The pilgrim's spirituat 9oa1' then, is the transition from mundane to sacred, which effects a personal transformation from impurity to purity. 7 The journey itself is imbued with the highest degree of sanctity, necessitating a retreat from habitual time and space--to another realm , if you wiII. Pilgrimage is the process that effects spiritual transformationt it allows the particípant to approach the sacred safely and expediently. The journey thrusts the pilgrim into new surroundings filled with symbols (often natural) that intensify feelings of reverence as the center is approached (Turnersr P. 23). For instance' the sanctity of pilgrimage to Gangotri is bestowed by the tirth's location high in the mountains in addition to its association with Ganga. Both mountains and river become more awe-inspiring as we approach the source. A brief look at the etymology of 'tirthr' the Hindi equivalent of 'centerr' will facilitate my interpretation of pilgrimage in India today. Commonly used to denote a pilgrim center, the term tlrth has had an interesting development. In Vedic times, tirth was used in a different context (Eck, Tirthas). It was primarily a river ford, and also came to be applied to a bathing place or a place to draw fresh water along the river. The term has had a constant linguistic association with water, and more specifically rivers. A tTrth was 'ho1y' to local inhabitants, tor it was reserved for a special function, that of drawing clean water. To the traveler, the most co¡nmon natural obstacles along the journey werer îo doubt, rivers. Therefore, safe passage across the river was considered auspicious. As a result, tTrths became gathering places for travelers and local inhabítants a1ike. Here, the I water was safe--it was clean and fresh as well as safe to cross. Through tradition, certain tTrths gained popularity. Travelers from outside the 1ocal area took word abroad that these tirths were auspicious. Local inhabitants of an area traveled further to draw water or bathe in a popular tÏrth than they had previously done. Hence, tÏrths became gathering places for people who traveled there for specific reasons (i.e., beyond functional reasons of drawing waterr oÍ simply crossing the river). Consequently, sanctity was accorded these places by the numbers of travelers whose sole purpose was to visit the auspicious tîrths.