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Ganga Dussehra

 

Ganga Dussehra

Ganga is observed as Divine River in not only India but it is also among the most sacred rivers of the world. 

This truth is universal and believed by all Indians and also by famous scholars of the world. River Ganga is known as the divine river of the country as similar as Sanskrit is observed as the divine language or the language of God. 

It is worshipped like a Goddess and believed that it was the tenth day of Jyeshta month bright half when she was descended on earth from heaven. The day is Ganga Dussehra, which is also the day when ages long hard work and penance of Bhagirath, a Suryavanshi king, got successful and fruitful in the form of river Ganga. It was he only whose hard penance was responsible for bringing river Ganga on earth that made a ruined and dry waste region developed into green and fertile and brought back life to earth. 

Since then every year, the occasion of Ganga Dussehra is celebrated by performing several rites and rituals of Ganga pooja to commemorate her. In ancient time, a king named Sagr used to rule over Ayodhya. He had two queens named Keshini and Sumti. First queen had one son and the 2nd queen had 60 thousand sons. 

Once, king Sagr was having Ashavamedha  Yagya, so, a horse was left before the conclusion of Yagya. To destroy the Yagya, God Indra stole the horse and had hidden it in the Ashram of Kapilmuni. King had sent all his sons in search of the horse. They reached the Ashram of Kapil Muni and got burnt by the anger of Muni, who was meditating. 

Searching the horse, when the son of first queen reached the Ashram, Mahatma Garud told him about his brothers. He also told the son, that he will need to bring Ganga from heaven to earth, for the salvation of his brothers.

Muni asked him to take away the horse of Yagya for now, and after completion of this work, he should convince Ganga to come on earth. After sometime, king died. Even after meditation and many trials he could not bring Ganga on earth. 
 
Finally, Bhagirath, son of King Dilip, performed meditation on Gokarn Pilgrimage. When many years passed, to him after doing meditation. Then, Lord Brahma was pleased and Ganga is ready to came down to earth. But now, the issue was that, how will the force of river Ganga should be controlled. 
 
So, God told that in Bhulok, no one except Lord Shankar has the power to control the speed of river Ganga. Again, Bhagirath performed meditation by standing on his thumb. Lord Shiva was pleased and so he opened his hairs. Than Ganga was came from Dev Lok and reached earth, passing through the hairs of Lord Shiva.

Ganga is also called Janhavi. This way Ganga stays in everybody’s heart. It is inevitable to take bath in Ganga if possible on the Ganga Dussehra else in some other river or reservoir or with pure water at home as per the convenience.

After that should do recital pooja in front of idol of Ganga. The idol of Ganga is considered as Trinetr, quadrilateral, adorned with white clothes and white lotus. King Bhagirath and Himalaya should also be worshipped which is highly recommended during Ganga Pooja.

Lord Shiva is the prime deity to be worship during the Ganga Pooja as he is sole owner and holder of river Ganga and by grace of his mercy only sent the river on earth for the welfare of mankind. The donation of ten eatable items mainly fruits and black sesame seeds are considered most auspicious.