Dussehra (Including a Movie and Beach Prayers) (The Appearance day of Mother Ganga – 20 th June 2021 )

“Though liquid in form, the Ganga dries up the ocean of material suffering; though white in colour, she is famous for refreshing blackish Krsna with her waters; though flowing on the earth, she is called by a heavenly name; and though she removes the confusion of the living entities, she is filled with whirlpools and eddies. Having attained a taste of the Lord’s lotus feet, her waves and currents becomes agitated. Taking up her residence in Navadvipa, she adds glory to that tract of land”. (Sri Navadvipa Dham Mahatmya) Shree Ganga Devi Ki Jai! Gaumukh (Starting point of the Ganga in the Himalayas) Ganga Puja Dussehra

This day is the "birthday or descent of Mother Ganga". Throughout India this festival lasts ten days beginning on the (dark moon night) and going through to the Dasami tithi (tenth phase of the Moon, the day before Pandava Nirjala {20th June – South Africa}.

"Festivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. Ganga Dussehra is celebrated on the tenth day of . Particularly people in India esp. of Uttara Pradesh, , and Bengal through which the river flows, worship River Ganga as a mother as well as a Mother Deity. On this day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river Ganga, then Ganga jal (water) kept in most Hindu homes is used for purification. A bath in the river is said to purify the bather of all sins. The Ganga is revered all over India even in places far from its course.

Initially, River Ganga flowed in the heavens. She was brought down to earth by the severe penances of the sage Bhagiratha and that is why she is also called Bhagirathi. According to the katha of the descent of the Ganga, once a number of demons were harassing the hermits by disturbing them in their ascetic duties. During the day, they would be chased into the ocean. But in the darkness of the night, they would emerge from the ocean and start harassing the hermits again. In desperation the hermits appealed to Rishi Agastya. Agastya, known for his gastronomic powers, drank all the water of the ocean. Though this was done in good faith, it resulted in depriving the world of the water needed for sustenance and the earth became parched and dry. Bhagiratha brought this drought to an end. According to the Puranas, King Sagara had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara performed severe austerities before his wives could produce children. But whereas Keshani gave birth to a son called Asmajas, Sumati bore many children. King Sagara performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to declare his authority over the neighboring kingdoms. According to the prevalent custom, the horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the neighboring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decided the winner. The many sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw him enter a cavern where sage Kapila Muni was meditating. Not seeing the horse in the cavern, they presumed that Kapila Muni had captured it. They did not kill Kapila Muni as he was a sage but they started disturbing his meditations.

Kapila Muni got angry and cursed them. There upon they all were burnt and reduced to ashes. Since neither the horse nor his soldiers returned King Sagara became anxious. He sent his grandson Anshuman to search for them. Kapila Muni told Anshuman the whole katha. Anshuman asked, “How can the sin of the king’s son’s be destroyed?” Kapila Muni answered, “They will be saved if the water of the Ganga will flow over this land.”

Agastya Muni having drunk all the waters of the ocean, the country was passing through a severe drought. Anshuman tried but did not succeed in bringing down the Ganga on earth. Then his son Dilip also tried, but without success. Then Dilip’s son Bhagiratha prayed to Lord Brahma, the Creator, to end the drought. Lord Brahma asked him to pray to Lord Vishnu, the Preserver, to allow the heavenly Ganga, issuing from His big toe, to come down to earth. Lord Vishnu when prayed to by Bhagiratha agreed, but asked him to request Lord Shiva, to allow the torrential rain to fall on his head before it came to the earth as the river was very forceful and if she were allowed to come down unchecked, her fall would split the earth. Lord Shiva agreed to take the gigantic weight of the cascading Ganga on the matted hair piled high on his head. This ensnared and delayed the progress of the river, which, in meandering through the labyrinth of his hair, lost its force, and then gently descended to the Himalayas from whence it flowed to the plains bestowing its waters on the parched earth. And that is why the image of Mother Ganga is shown in the matted hair of Lord Shiva who is also called Gangadhara. Being born in the Himalayas, Mother Ganga is considered the elder sister of Mother Parvati, who is also a daughter of the Himalayas. For this reason the Ganga is also known as the Bhagirathi.

According to the Agni and Padma Purana, Mother Ganga descended to the earth on the tenth day of Jyeshtha month and a bath in the holy river on this day purifies one of all sins. To die on the banks of the Ganga is considered most auspicious. If that is not possible, then the immersion of the ashes after cremation in the river Ganga is a must, as it then releases one from the cycles of birth and re-birth.

The seven ways of worshipping Mother Ganga are:- By calling out her name, 'Oh Ganga' Having darshan of her By touching her waters By worshipping and bathing By standing in the waters of the river And by carrying clay dug out of the river.

Mother Ganga is shown as a beautiful young woman standing on a crocodile and holding a water pot in her hands. Her image, with that of Mother , another sacred river deity, is often depicted on the doors of temples and palaces. The principle centers for the worship of the Ganga are Gangotri, the source of the river; (the Door/Gateway to Lord Hari), where she comes down to the plains; Prayag (), where she joins the River Yamuna and the dried underground River Sarasvati; , and Ganga Sagar is where the Ganga flows into the Bay of Bengal. If you are so fortunate as to be in a place in India (Bharat Bhumi) where the sacred Ganga flows or one of the sacred places where She appears contrary to material science, such as Mana Sarovara, Manasi Ganga (Bhubaneshwar), Madhwa Sarova (Udupi), etc., then you will be able to go down to her waters and pay your obeisances, say your prayers and take that water upon your head. Then please say a prayer to invoke the blessings of the Lord upon all of us not so fortunate as to be there with you. For most of us reading this that will not physically be possible, although certainly through Manasa puja - meditation one may still perform that worship.

We should also remember that the worlds oceans is an extension of Mother Ganga as well because when she flows into the Bay of Bengal she immerses herself with the ocean water and thus all the waters become one. Just as one drop of Ganga jal in one litre of water all that water becomes Ganga jal so in the same way all the oceans of the world is also Mother Ganga.

Due to lack of space on this article please do go onto this website below on the full katha of the descent of Mother Ganga from the Srimad Bhagavatam. http://www.srimadbhagavatam.org/canto5/chapter17.html

To view beautiful pictures of the actual start of Mother Ganga on this planet please do go on this website. http://www.liveindia.com/ganga/gaumukh.html

The snout of the Gangotri Glacier and the source of the Bhagirathi River. Pilgrims trek up to the sacred spot on foot or on ponies to take a holy dip in the ice-cold water. According to the Puranas, the heavenly Ganga flows from Lord Vishnu's toe. Mother Ganga sometimes assumed a human form. In one such appearance, she married King Shantanu (picture below) and was the mother of Bhishma, grandsire to the warring Pandava and Kaurava clans. This katha is mentioned in two places in the Srimad Bhagavatam 9th canto chapter 22 and the Mahabharata. Below is the katha from the Mahabharata.

Mahabharata - Adi Parva Chapter One. (Maharaja Shantanu Marries the Celestial Ganga) Maharaja Shantanu took his birth in the solar (sun) dynasty. Once when Maharaja Shantanu, was wandering in the forest, he came upon a place frequented by the Siddhas and Charanas (a class of heavenly devas). There he saw a lady who appeared like the goddess of fortune herself. In truth, she was the personification of the river Ganga. She was glancing at the monarch with her youthful longing eyes, and Maharaja Shantanu became attracted to her. He then approached her inquiring, O beautiful woman, are you from the race of the Gandharvas, Apsaras, Yakshas, Nagas or the human race? As yet I have no queen, and your birth appears divine. Whatever your origin, O celestial beauty, I request you to become my wife. The beautiful Apsara (celestial maiden) then smilingly replied, O King, I shall become your wife and obey your commands, but there are certain conditions. You should not interfere with my actions, whether agreeable or disagreeable. Also you should never chastise me with harsh words. If you assent to my request, I shall live with you. The King, infatuated with love, agreed to her proposals.

Having taken the lovely Ganga for his wife, Maharaja Shantanu passed many years in her association. She satisfied the King by her charm and affection, as well as by her music and dance; and thus the King passed many seasons unconscious of time. While enjoying himself in her company, she conceived eight children by him that were equal in quality to the heavenly beings. However, on the birth of each child, Mother Ganga threw the child into the river, exclaiming, “This is for your good”! The King was not pleased with his wife's conduct, but he dared not speak a chastising word, lest she would leave his company. However, when the eighth child was born, the King could not tolerate the killing of another child and he spoke harshly, “Do not kill this child! Why do you kill your own children? O murderess of your sons, the reaction to such sin is very great!”

When reproached in these words, the celestial beauty replied, I shall not cast this child into the river, but according to our marriage agreement, our relationship has ended. I am Ganga, the personification of the River Ganga, and I am ever worshiped by the great sages and common people. My origin is the divine feet of Lord Vishnu. I have lived with you only to accomplish the purpose of the devas. The eight Vasus were cursed by Vashishta Muni, and thus they have appeared on earth as a reaction to that curse. They have pleaded with me to free them from this bondage immediately after their birth. I have lived with you long enough to fulfill my promise to the Vasus. This last child is destined to live on earth for some time. His name will be Devavrata (later on to be called Pita Maha Bhishma), and he shall be famous as a lion among men. Maharaja Shantanu then inquired from his wife, what offense did the Vasu's commit for which they were born on earth as human beings? Why, also, is this last child destined to live on earth longer than the others? O Ganga, my wife, please clarify this.

Being thus questioned by the King of the earth, Mother Ganga replied, on Mount Meru there are many picturesque forests. In one such wooded region lives a renowned sage named Vashishta Muni. He is adept in the practice of austerity and meditation. With the help of his Kamadhenu cow, he performs sacrifices to please Lord Krishna. One day, the eight Vasus headed by Prithu came to that forest. Roaming about with their wives, the Vasus entered the hermitage of Vashishta Muni. At that time they spotted the celestial cow named Nandini. One of the Vasus, whose name was Dyu, then informed his wife, this cow belongs to the eminent sage Vashishta, and it is said that the mortal who drinks the milk of this cow remains unchanged for ten thousand years.' Turning to her husband she replied, I have a very dear friend named Jitavati who is the daughter of the sage Usinara. I wish to take this cow and calf as a present for her.' When repeatedly petitioned by his beautiful wife, Dyu, along with his brothers, abducted the Kamadhenu cow, forgetting who was the actual owner. That evening, when Vashishta Muni returned to his hermitage, he could not find his Kamadhenu cow or its calf. He began to search the forest, but nowhere could they be found. By his mystic power, obtained by long years of austerity, he then understood that the cow and its calf had been taken away by the Vasus. When the sage's wrath was kindled, he cursed the Vasus, “I curse them to be born on earth as ordinary mortals.' The sage then returned to his practice of ascetic meditation.

When the Vasus heard of Vasishtha Muni’s curse, they came to his hermitage to pacify him. They praised him with amiable words and offered to return the cow. However, they failed to obtain clemency from the great sage. The great brahmana Vashishta, who is naturally kind to everyone, then compassionately said, this curse is the suitable punishment to rectify your enjoying mentality. You will be freed from it shortly after your earthly birth. However, your brother Dyu, who actually stole my cow, shall have to domicile on earth for a long period of time. Dyu, though living on earth, shall not marry and have children. He will, however, be a man of kingly virtue and will know the essence of the Vedas. He will be an obedient servitor to his father, but will have to live without female companionship.' The Vasus Ganga continued, then came to me and begged a benediction. They asked that I cast them into the waters of the immediately upon taking their birth. O best among kings, I have fulfilled their desire, but this last child, Dyu, will have to reside on earth for some time to fulfill the curse of Vashishta Muni. Having related the Vasus' history, Ganga disappeared with the child, and the King returned to his palace with a sorrowful heart.

Finally scientists' still cannot understand how unlike ordinary water, when you take a bottle of Ganga water and keep it for years; it never becomes green and slimy. It always remains in its pure condition. Now the Ganga is approximately 2525 kilometers in length. Along its course, 27 major towns dump approximately 902 million liters of sewage into it each day. Added to this are all those human bodies consigned to this holy river. Despite this heavy burden of pollutants, the Ganga has for millennia been regarded as incorruptible. How can this be? Several foreigners have recorded the effects of this river's "magical" cleansing properties: Ganga water does not putrefy, even after long periods of storage. River water begins to putrefy when lack of oxygen promotes thegrowth of anaerobic bacteria, which produce the telltale smell of stale water. British physician, C.E. Nelson, observed that Ganga water taken from the Hooghly -- one of its dirtiest mouths -- by ships returning to England remained fresh throughout the voyage. In 1896, the British physician E. Hanbury Hankin reported in the French journal Annales de l'Institut Pasteur that cholera microbes died within three hours in Ganga water, but continued to thrive in distilled water even after 48 hours. A French scientist, Herelle, was amazed to find "that only a few feet below the bodies of persons floating in the Ganga who had died of dysentery and cholera, where one would expect millions of germs, there were no germs at all. More recently, D.S. Bhargava, an Indian environmental engineer measured the Ganga's remarkable self-cleansing properties: D.S. Bhargava’s calculations, taken from an exhaustive 3-year study of the Ganga, show that it is able to reduce BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) levels much faster than in other river. Quantitatively, the Ganga seems to clean up suspended wastes 15 to 20 times faster than other rivers.

How to perform Ganga puja the simple way

In the morning of 1st June in your bathroom, in a bucket of water add a few drops of Ganga jal (water). As you pour the water over you imagine that you are in the actual River Ganga and chant “Om Gangai namah” “Jai Shree Gangai devi”. Pray to Mother Ganga for her blessings. AND If you like and if you are near a beach/ocean you can firstly offer incense, lamp and flowers (7 times each around the ocean). This might get you in trouble with the local authorities and if it does then you can perform it in your mind (manasa prayers). Pray to Mother Ganga for her blessings. Then go to the water and cup your hands and offer the ocean water back to the ocean 3 times chanting the above mantras. You now can bath in the waters visualizing that you are bathing in River Ganga. Beach Puja for Mother Ganga

Choose an appropriate beach where you won't get into trouble with the local authorities. At the beach clean a certain part and then sprinkle with some hurdi (turmeric) water mixed with sea water. Now place some banana leaves on the sand.

Halwa Puree Puja:- This puja is more of a thanksgiving prayer to Mother Ganga. In a bucket add warm water, hurdi and ground syringaberry/Neem leaves. Make sure you have 11 lotas of mixture in the bucket. On a banana leaf place in the following order {2 Purees (one of top of the other), 1 betel leaf, 1/4 tsp Halwa, 1/4 tsp sweet rice, 3 types of fruits (cut in very small pieces), 3 types of sweetmeats (cut in very small pieces), 3 channa dhal, 1 whole elachie, 1 whole clove, 1 flat betel nut, 1 Tikli dot, 1 dot red sindhur and lastly 2 red bangles}. You must have in all 2 (for Sair-Dee Baba) + 9 (for Mother Ganga) sets in all. It is optional to have a coconut draped with a new sari for Mother Ganga. I would advise doing this. Now place this sari draped around the coconut (which is in a large deep dish), and place it behind the 9 halwa puri's Do note that Sair Mata is the consort of Dee Baba. Facing the two sets halwa puri, the one on your right is Sair Mata halwa puri and on your left is Dee baba's halwa puri.

Facing the sea on the ground in front of the Banana leaf with the Halwa puri place 2 tablets of camphor for Sair-Dee Baba with cloves. Then place two lotas of the Dhaar mixture behind the camphor's. (Do note:- The Halwa-puri for Dee Baba should consist of all the ingredients above except the Tikli dot, red sindhur and the bangles but for his wife Sair Devi do as I have stated above). Make sure that the one for Sair Devi is on the left of Dee Baba's Halwa Puri. Now in the same way place 9 tablets of camphor and place put cloves on each tablet. Place one lota of the Dhaar mixture behind the 9 camphors. Light the Sair-Dee Baba camphors first, pray and then turn the Lota of Dhaar 3 times in a clockwise direction around the camphor fire and then drop a little Dhaar (hurdi, syringaberry/Neem leaves) in front of the camphors. Do this for the next lota as well.

Now light the 9 pieces of camphor, pray to Mother Ganga and then turn the Lota of Dhaar 9 times in a clockwise direction around the camphor fire and then drop a little Dhaar (hurdi, syringaberry/Neem leaves) in front the camphors. Now go to the water and after the 7th wave that comes to shore, offer the 2 lota's of dhaar for Sair and Dee baba. Return to the bedi (puja place) now take the pail of dhaar with the lota of dhaar and now offer the 9 lota's of dhaar in the water after the 7 th wave. Then offer the sari with the coconut into the sea after the 7th wave. Thereafter return to the prayer place and then you must distribute the Prasad which you can eat and the rest to the others in your family. This is Mata's Prashad (mercy). The halwa puri can be eaten by unmarried females, men, widows everyone. Jai Gangai Mata :)

"Mother Ganga" (FULL MOVIE)

Director and Producer:- Bhaktivaibhava Swami Synopsis: ‘‘Mother Ganga‘‘ is a unique documentary about the Ganges river based on ‘‘Our Merciful Mother Ganga,‘‘ a book by Jaya Vijaya Das. Purchase from https://www.amazon.in/Merciful-Mother-Ganga-Vijaya-Jaya/dp/8190113208

"The film portrays a pilgrimage, starting at the Bay of Bengal where the Ganges enters the sea (Ganga Sagar), to Gangotri and Gomukh in the Himalayan Mountains where the River Ganga appears. Along the journey, one can see images from significant places of pilgrimage such as Mayapur, Jaipur, Varanasi, Bodgaya, Haridwar, , Gangotri, and others. The film depicts the love and devotion the people of India have been exhibiting for thousands of years in the worship of Gangamayi. The commentary consists of narratives and related kathas found in the Vedas describing the Ganges‘ spiritual origin, purifying power, descent to the material world, personal feature, etc. This film also contains footage capturing the atmosphere of ancient worship ceremonies, magnificent temples, impressive mystic yoga practice, etc." https://www.youtube.com/watch? DISCLAIMER:- Do note that Dipika is not affiliated to any Hindu group or organization. We at Dipika choose to remain an independent repository of spiritual advice. We appreciate that there are variances between organisations and humbly request that if our views differ from yours that you respect our decision not to conform to the prescripts of your particular organisation. We remain committed to spiritual advice which is based on scripture.

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