Ganga, the Mother of all Rivers_Org_Mukta_Panchjanya Dummy.qxd 14-Feb-19 3:02 PM Page 3 THE GANGA The Mother of all Rivers Gangā is a very special divine liquid energy with mysterious purifying properties, which has purplexed modern scientists for long but till date no one has succeeded in decoding her spiritual powers Neera Misra An artistic impression of Gangavataran defined Bharat’s culture and civilisation and the growth of Indian civilization). since time immemorial. The Gangetic plain has indeed been ‘The Gangā occupies an the pole towards which the political, unrivalled position among all rivers of economic and religious life of the Gangā! The very name evokes a the world. No other river is so closely country has gravitated’. Gangā is sense of sanctity, devotion and identified with any country as the much more than that. reverence. It is the only flowing divine Gangā is with India, says Jagmohan Maa Gangā has been so integral to entity of sacred waters that has a Mahajan in Gangā Observed us from our birth to death that her history of divine origin immortalised as (Foreign Accounts of the River). ‘… water is used at every ceremony for Bhagirath Prayatna. The water deity, Cities and pilgrimage centers purification, as a charm to ward off evil identified with ‘makara’ at her feet, teeming with temples and shrines spirits, sprinkled over the bride and brings with it unique power of have sprung up all along its course bridegroom at Hindu weddings, and salvation. It is the spiritual river that has (milestones in the history of the land placed into the mouth of the dying, and February 24, 2019 l Organiser l 43 Ganga, the Mother of all Rivers_Org_Mukta_Panchjanya Dummy.qxd 14-Feb-19 3:02 PM Page 4 Confluence of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Rivers at Devprayag in Uttarakhand also serving as a medium for oath- foreign visitor. He noted that the cubic centimeter of it contained taking. Geographer Strabo calls it the Indians worshipped the rain-bringing millions of germs; but at the end of six largest river. English traveller Thomas Zeus (Indra), the Gangā River and hours they were all dead. He then also Coryat, who visited Bharat from 1612 local deities. The Arthashastra of caught a floating corpse, towed it to to 1617, has called it ‘the Captain of all Kautilya mentions that ‘during drought shore, “ … and from beside it he rivers in the world’. shall Indra, the Gangā, mountains dipped up water that was swarming Yet this water of life and death is and Mahakachha (sea or ocean) be with cholera germs; at the end of six not just a river as perceived by many. worshipped. Textual references prove hours they were all dead’ writes J Descending from the heavens as that the Gangā is actually channeled Mahajan (Virgo Publication 1994). rain, she was created as a channel for rainwater. Repeatedly, he took pure well-water human salvation by the vision of Solar which was barren of animal life, and Dynasty King Sagara and his five Mysterious Purifying Powers put into it a few cholera germs, they generation of descendants, a task Gangā that we revere is a very always began to propagate at once, finally accomplished by Bhagirath special divine liquid energy with and always within six hours they with the blessings of Lord Shiva. mysterious purifying properties. This swarmed and were numerable by Gangā is not just flowing waters but unique and mystifying trait of the millions upon millions. divine waters endowed with unique Gangā has purplexed modern Europeans wondered, as many of properties for our ‘moksha’. Some scientists for long but till date no one us still do, ‘how did they find out the scholars believe that our current has succeeded in decoding the water’s secret in those ancient ages? understanding and approach to ‘river’ Gangā’s spiritual powers. Had they germ-scientists then? We is based on European ideas and very Mark Twain notes that a scientist do not know. We only know that they different from what ancient seers of named Henkin, who was an employee had a civilization long before we Bharat conceived. of the government of Agra, conducted emerged from savagery’. (Mark In the 4th century BC, experiments to examine the water. He Twain: Following the Equator, 1897). Megasthenes came from Greece as went to Benares for his tests and took The most telling image from ambassador to the court of water from the mouths of the sewers Devprayag distinctly shows here two Chandragupta Maurya, leaving the where they empty into the river at the flowing water bodies of very different first detailed account of India by a bathing-ghats. Tests revealed that a colours. It is pertinent to note that this 44 l Organiser l February 24, 2019 Ganga, the Mother of all Rivers_Org_Mukta_Panchjanya Dummy.qxd 14-Feb-19 3:02 PM Page 5 THE GANGA is the sacred place of the ‘divine confluence’ (Dev-prayag) of two rivers that join together, creating Did you know? Gangā’s emergence as one river flowing towards the plains. Also that l Gangāvataran was the first sound film, made in 1937 by Dadasaheb the chemical properties of such Phalke. He directed Gangā Avataran on behalf of Kolhapur Movietone. contrasting waters will be different is l The first foreign traveler eventually to go beyond Gangotri was captain clear to even an ordinary person. Hodgson, whose ‘Journal of a Survey to the Heads of Ganges and Jamuna’ How does the mixture of two or in 1817 appeared in 1822. He reached Gangotri on 26 May, 1817, and more variant waters, flowing through gives a description of the temple as also measurements of the breadth and mineral rich pristine areas, affect the depth of the river made by him there. Continuing further, he reached five final properties of the Gangā waters days later the glacier commonly called Gaumukh, ‘the first appearance of that cleanses? Was this confluence the famous and true Ganges’. (Gangā Observed, J Mahajan). natural or man-made? We know of l According to a description of marriage ceremonies which were ‘celebrated Panchprayag at Uttarakhand. Waters with pomp and great expenditure’, the main item of expenditure was the descend crossing through Gangā water. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier: Travels in India, (Published in 1676) Vishnuprayag (Dhauliganga- l Gangasagar or Sagardwip, is a place of Hindu pilgrimage. Every year on Alakhnanda), Nandprayag the day of Makar Sankranti (14 January), hundreds of thousands of Hindus (Alakhnanda-Nandakini), Karnaprayag gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of river Ganges and Bay of (Alaknanda-Pindar) and Rudraprayag Bengal and offer prayers (puja) in the Kapil Muni Temple. Sagar island is where Alakhnanda meets Mandakini. an island in the Ganges delta, at Bay of Bengal, 100 km South of Kolkata. What is the significance of the l The Kumbh Mela is one of the oldest and largest congregations of Indian name ‘Dev-Prayag’ as ancient seers civilisation. It is the gateway to understand the concept of Creation, based named people or places with certain on the story of Creation where the Kumbh, the pot of nectar spilled its symbolic identifications? Where or contents that led to the formation of the Universe. This is a depiction of the what is the initial source of the profound description in the Veda of the scientific process of Creation from mystical properties of Gangā waters? the cosmic egg called Hiranyagarbha, a golden-hued womb which burst We know that—Gangā water is open as Big Bang. Kumbh festival goes back to over 5100 years and more. always sacred as germs do not develop in it. Gangā water is always pure. It has medicinal properties in it. Modern scientists are gradually depths of ‘Vigyan’ and planned for This drinkining water has divine traits realising the science of Ayurveda, welfare of humanity. as stated in ancient texts Germ free meditation, Yoga and even ‘ritual The gospel of preventing medicine pure water is also mentioned in fasting, but will take many decades, and science of life ‘Ayur-veda’ is the ‘Katoupanishad. if not centuries, to unlock all the ‘Charak Samhita’ which means Gangā is also called the ‘Das secrets unearthed by our ancient research by travelling to various parts Paap Hara Devi’ as she provides seers. Knowledge of our Rishi’s of the land. It was not commercial solution for ten problems. Gangā came through centuries of penance exploitation as Vedic dharma is based Dashera is festival celebrated in by understanding and connecting on the principles of Gangā too was recognition of Gangā’s power of with nature. They unravelled the channeled from heavenly waters for washing away ten ‘Paap’ or sins (sin the welfare of mankind. It is the perfect means problems), as also mentioned blend of nature and culture for social by Bhojraj (Rajmartand). Was course GanGā is a special divine engineering the welfare of a civilisation of waters having divergent properties liquid enerGy with that believed in divine nature of man, chartered to form the miracle water? mysterious purifyinG nature and all earthy beings. Gangā Maa is a marvelous gift of visionary properties. this trait of Divine Water King Sagara, dedicated efforts of his What is the mystery of this Divine the river has purplexed 60,000 population and sons water? It is notable that where the modern scientists for Anshuman, Dilipa and especially Gangā waters fall on Hemkunt as lonG but till date no Bhagirath, who is immortalised spring, gold particles are found there. one has succeeded in through Bhagirath river which joins In several places in the Gangā valley decodinG her spiritual Alakhanda at Devprayag, to finally there is a tradition to strain gold form the Gangā we know.