The Ganga is getting ready for the big festival once every twelve years. On those twelve days, Gangotri, Gangasagar, Haridwar, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Varanasi, and Allahabad kshetras are adorned with flowers.
Why Pushkara? What is their importance? … It’s all a big story.
A Brahmin called Pushkara used to do penance for Lord Shiva. Bhaktavasankara appeared and asked for a boon. Pushkar did not ask Manu in Manikya. Kingdoms and empires are not expected. The rivers are becoming impure due to the sins committed by the creatures.
“If the rivers are pure, the country is also blessed”
Those who take a bath in that river will be free from sin. They will get birthlessness’. Pushkar was happy. Knowing the greatness of Pushkara, Guru (Jupiter) asked Brahma to bestow him with Pushkara. Pushkar objected to that. Brahma pleased both and gave them equal representation. Jupiter moves through 12 signs per year. To that extent, the first twelve days of Jupiter joining the respective signs are celebrated as Adi Pushkaras and the last twelve days as Antya Pushkaras.
As Guru enters Aries, the Ganga Pushkaras are released. According to that from May 8 to 19… Ganga will get Pushkara Mahattu. At that time all the Brahma gods including Pushkar enter the river waters. Puranas say that by taking a bath in that water, the sins of the births will be destroyed and if the embryo offerings are made there, the father gods will attain the holy worlds.
Three-quarters of the water in every human being is Ganges. When the emotion hits, the tears flow like water. When Kayakashtam, botabota Rale Chamatabinduu Gange! The hand of the priest is the sacred tirtha Ganga. Ganga is a small drop from the sky. Ganga is the river flowing from the underworld. Ganga… is in the Vedas. It is in the Upanishads. It is in Ramayana. It is in India. It is in Bhagavatam. It is in Bhagavad Gita. That is in the stories. It is in folk tales. It is in the countryside. It is in the beliefs of the Pamars. Yet, where is there no Ganga? Though born in the Himalayas, it was born in Bikari
Millions of people take a dip in the Ganges every day. Every day crores of people touch the Ganga in worship, vratam, yajna and patrimony.
In ‘Discovery of India’, Nehru said what a great word… ‘From the birth of the Ganges till it meets the sea… every step is sacred to Indians. How many civilizations were born on those shores! How many empires have emerged! How much soil has been washed away! The flow of Ganges is the evidence of the history of human development’.
The stories, legends, myths and legends that are intertwined in Ganga… may be true or not. But, every story is a testimony of love on the Ganges. Every right is auspicious for that mother.
Table of Contents
The legendary story of the birth of the river Ganges:
Galagala Jalalala… Birabira Chakachaka… Laughing and splashing… Bursting and burning… With milk foam… With the footsteps of Muripala… The Ganges descended to the earth… Uthunga Taranga! That moment became a legendary story. It is a part of Ramayana. Born in the Ikshvaku clan, Sagaru had two wives…Kesini and Sumati. A son named Asamanju is born to Kesini with the boon of Bhrigu Maharshi. Sixty thousand sons will be born to Sumati. After some time, Sagara performs a horse sacrifice.
Indra was afraid that it would be successful. He did not lose his mind. Chikatlo locks Yagaswa and binds him in Maharishi Kapila’s ashram. When there is no horse itself, what is the Aswamedha Yaga? The cycle stops. Sagara gets upset. Sixty thousand sons will shake with anger. Yagaswam leaves to find out the trail. That horse is found in Kapilu’s ashram. The sons of Sagara, who are exhausted by their physical strength, cast abhandas on the sage. Asceticism angers. He will burn sixty thousand people with the sight of his eyes.
Asamanju’s son Anshumanu reaches there in search of his ancestors. Ash heaps all around. The matter is understood. Garutmantha advises that Ganga has the power to wash away sixty thousand sins with a single blow. Sagara’s generation ends. Anshuman’s generation ends. Dilipu’s generation ends. It is nobody’s business to tame the Ganga. Bhagirath’s reign begins. Bhagiratha tries too. Appreciated by his penance, Brahma appears. But he makes it clear that the earth does not have the strength to withstand the flow of the Ganges.A majili is required in between. He says that only Lord Shiva has that ability. Bhagiratha prays to Lord Shiva. Mukkanti agrees to kill Ganga.
From Shiva’s jatajhutas… the Ganges emerges.
Surganga carried by Shiva…
In the Bindu Lake region of the Himalayas, it touches the ground as sediments. To the east… Hladini, Pavani, Nalini. Towards the west… Suchakshu, Sita, Sindhu. New Arupayas. Edopaya runs behind Bhagirath’s chariot. Jahnu Maharshi’s Ashram is on the way. All the Tataku huts are washed away by that stream. Maharishi gets angry.
He holds the Ganga in a bowl and drinks it like a pilgrim. Everyone begs to be released from that captivity. Maharishi says that it is good for the welfare of the world. He leaves it out of the ear. Crossing the ups and downs… surmounting the ups and downs… now and then high… here and there with slowness… the Ganga of virtues flows and flows and paves the land of Bharat.
Bhagiratha became Bhagirathi because it came from effort. Jahnu was born from the womb and came to be known as Jahnu. Ningi, Earth, Underworld—the three worlds. East, West, South—the three directions. It runs in three directions and earns its name ‘Tripathaga’. The pious Sagaras were liberated by that stream. The earth is rotten. The gods were thrilled. Humans are ecstatic. The aquatic creatures were triumphant. Green crops come to life. Earth became heaven. Before that rapture, the original heaven was small. Makara Sankram is the day when Ganga comes down to earth
Kranti means change. Is there a greater change in the history of India than the Ganges? In an agricultural country, water resources are full and overflowing, which is a real festival. Hence, Gangamma, who gave green crops, became a direct deity. The shrines are located on that bank. Cities were born. Empires come to life. Civilization flourished. The manner in which Diviganga came down to earth is wonderful. That was an amazing moment. Kalidasa’s phrasing in ‘Raghuvamsa’ reminds me of Gangajhari. Utpalavari’s ‘Gangavataran’ is less?
‘Hrishikesa Haridwara Rushyashrama Mukteshwara Ponguletti Vakheganga!
Gangamma’s footsteps are heard in those verses. Bapuramana’s ‘Sitakalyanam’… launched Gangavatarana on the silver screen with heart. Sinare has given a twist to that tradition. From Ravi Varma to Vaddadivari… many painters have painted that wonderful scene.
The Gangavatarana sculpture in Mahabalipuram is a beautiful poem carved in stone. Kevin Persh, an Australian painter, has worked for six years and created the Ganges flow on canvas in 21 new paintings. ‘Thousand figures are not enough to describe that beauty. A hundred colors are not enough. “My effort will reach the moon,” said Kevin humbly.
Aadi Ganga…
There is a legend behind the birth of Ganga. Vamana asked for three feet of ground. Bali offered himself as a sacrifice. Occupies one foot of land. The second step…intai intintai extends to Brahmalokam. What a blessing it is to actually reach the feet of Lord Vishnu… Brahma washed his feet with devotion and sprinkled the water. That is the pilgrimage.. It became heaven. It came to earth with the efforts of Bhagirath. flowed through the hearts of Indians. From the point of view of geography… the Ganga is not present. It has flowed since Vedic times. But at that time only Indus and Saraswati rivers were preferred.
Rugveda verses glorify those two rivers. Although there is a reference to ‘Ganga’, it is not clear whether the word refers to water or to what. The importance of the Ganges increased in the post-Rugvedic period. Vedars called Ganga as ‘Jahnavi’. By the time of Ramayana, Ganga got a place of worship.
Lord Vishnu told Divijaganga that he would be born on the banks of the Ganges in his incarnation as Rama. When Sitaramalakshman was going to the wilderness, the cave was crossed by the Ganges. India will take a great turn with the entry of the Ganga. Shantana Maharaja falls in love with Ganga, the most beautiful constellation. Varalicchi Manuwad. The child born to that couple was Bhishmapitamaha. The rest of India is known to us. Ganges in history The priority cannot be ignored. All the Mahamaha kingdoms emerged on the banks of the Ganges. Many battles were fought for dominance over the fertile Ganga-Yamuna basin.
Water witness…
Civilizations were born on the banks of rivers. Extinct Kingdoms emerged. Soiled. Rivers became centers of trade. Shrines have become home. They are the source of dairy crops. There are many rivers that have changed the life of man. But, they could not all be Ganges. Ganga has a special place in the hearts of Indians. From birth to marriage, even after death… the lives of Indians are connected with Ganga. It is customary in some regions to pour a drop of Ganga Thirtha down the throat of a child when it is born. Baby’s first bath is with Ganga water. ‘Gangecha, Yamunechaiva Godavari Saraswati…’ the elders invite Gangamma into the Ganga. As soon as that call is heard, Suraganga Birabira, as the representative of all the rivers, comes.
If the pin code number is not written on the card, it will be sent to the postmaster. Those digits are essential to provide the correct address. Srishtimaster’s Pincode… Ganga! When the people of the Ganga basin are making a resolution… they should ask the Supreme Lord which direction they are towards the Ganga. Otherwise, that vera will not reach God. Ganges is one of those bodies of water that Indians want to take a dip in at least once in their lifetime.
It is believed that all sins will be washed away by that touch. That’s why the ancestral gods are waiting for us to dip in the Ganga from the upper worlds. At the end of life, when the death is approaching… even if the breath does not cooperate, the throat is hoarse, the speech
Even if he is faltering, the living being tells him not to draw the power from nowhere and pour ‘Ganga…’. It is believed that if you eat the sacred Tirtha with Tulsi, you will directly reach the holy worlds.
In the Mahabharata… Bhishma describes the Mahatma of the Ganga from Ampasaya. With a single Ganga bath… As much merit as Yajnyagas, spiritual wealth as much as Pujas and Vratas. It is enough to touch the Ganga… then seven generations and seven generations will be sanctified. A country without Ganga… Yajnamata without Soma! It is like a moonless night.
It is like a tree without flowers. Bhishmapitamahu says, ‘Why so many words, if Ganga goes on talking about the greatness, it will be like counting the water particles in the ocean! There are some scientific reasons for Ganga’s greatness. The water has expectorant properties. That is why, a pinch of Ganga is put in the throat of those suffering from severe illness.
Research shows that certain types of microbes in the Ganges have the ability to reduce the side effects of various diseases. Ayurvedic experts say that the river Ganga, which flows from Gangotri and contains many rare herbs and plants, has medicinal properties. Above all, faith in Ganga, unwavering devotion..that water is so great.
Gnanavahini..
Ganga… Knowledge Ganga! With the influence of that wind, with the greatness of that pilgrimage… many lives have changed. The knots are gone. Ignorance is rampant. Ego has melted like ice. One day Shankara Bhagavatpada was going to bathe in the Ganges. Chandalu appeared with four dogs. ‘Swami is calling. Disciples warned, ‘step aside’. ‘Is this the body of those who pass by? A soul in a body? Chandalu argues that it is dualism, but not Advaita. No no, Lord Shiva in the form of Chandalu. Gangamma as a witness to Shankara.
It becomes enlightenment. Assignment is done. Ganga’s mind is butter. If called, it will speak. If you understand, you will be compassionate. Telugu poet Panditaraya is an eyewitness to that goodness. He was a devotee who wrote ‘Gangalahari’. He wanted to unite with the Ganges in the last days. While standing on the bank and singing ‘Gangalahari’…each shloka was completed, each step forward…Ganga incorporated those poems into herself. Even today, Ganga is worshiped with the hymns of Panditarayas. This is a proof of the Telugu people’s devotion to Gangama.
The reason for Gangamma’s love for Telugu people. Can a mother who gives salvation not give Bhukti? The entire catchment area of ​​the Ganges and its tributaries is green. Rice, chilli, sugarcane, jute… and other crops are grown in abundance. Those river banks which are full of tourists with shrines… give employment to many people. Gangane is the direction of many industries. There are many lessons for man to learn from Ganga. Ganga, who was born somewhere in the heavenly world, came down to the ground for the four. Crops were watered. Crops for humans. gave life to aquatic life. What goodness, what sacrifice!
We have to learn how to adjust according to the situation. The flow of the rising Ganga… slows down here and there depending on the need. Surrenders to the situation and moves forward quietly. It is a great lesson to be persistent not only in the flow of the river but also in the flow of life. Ganga gives life to friendship. She lovingly combined ordinary streams, bends and small rivers without any space. Sanctified them.
That is the greatness of noble company. Yamuna was honored by giving half throne. Every time two religions, two regions, two races, two people are said to be one, we remember the confluence of the Ganges and the mountains. In fact, Yamuna is physically stronger than Ganga. Elevated. But Yamuna humbly bowed before the spiritual power of Ganga and the sacrificial history. That is why it did not merge with ‘Yamunaganga’. ‘Gangayamun’ has become the confluence.
Ram Teri Ganga Miley…
Man is an element of Bhasmasura. If not, will the mother-in-law hang herself? Does he insult the deity who came down? Will the Ganges be swallowed by insane selfishness? Jahnavi could not bear the waste, chemicals, waste and pollution. Due to industrial waste, thousands of aquatic species that have always been believed to be Gangamma are disappearing.
Like the girls who jump with silk bracelets at weddings… the dolphins who buzz in the Ganges… are slowly disappearing. Seizures and encroachments are changing the course of the flow. Bhakti beyond limits is not Bhakti. That is stupidity. With thousands of cremations, Amrit Ganga has become a home for funeral pyres. The flowers, ashes and ashes that are mixed in the Ganges… are sacrificing life.
Accumulating more pollution. As if this is not enough… plastic waste, industrial waste. Once, the medicine Ganga which gave relief from all diseases… Now, it is the cause of all diseases. Unable to see this plight and unable to bear the stench, Ganga is overflowing in the eyes of the devotees who worship Nadimathalli as a goddess. Another good thing is that there is a lot of garbage to be feared.
Bhagirathi Sukhadayini Mata
Tava Jala Mahima Nigam is famous
Naham Jaane Tava Mahima
Pahi Kripamayi Mamagyanam
‘Gangamma! The cool mother of the bridegroom!
The Vedas glorify your holiness. The whole world praised it. But we are the ignorant ones who do not know any of that. Pushkar is the right time to say sorry for turning you into a pollutant. Repentance washes away the impurities of the mind. The same is true for the treatment of Ganga waters.
Ganga…clean!
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature…Ganga is one of the ten most polluted rivers in the world. The sewage of about 30 cities, the pollution of 25 towns, the waste of thousands of villages… all together, about three thousand million liters of garbage is meeting in the Ganga. Central and state governments have made many efforts to remove pollution from the Ganges. The courts have also done well.
When Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister, under the ‘Ganga Action Plan’, nearly a thousand crores were spent on river water treatment. But there was no result. Recently, the Ministry of Environment has sanctioned Rs.2,400 crore under 43 projects. With this project, water treatment plants, sewage canals etc. will be provided in the areas where the Ganges is heavily polluted. The ambition of the National Ganga Management Organization is to make the Ganges clean by 2020.
It is actually headed by the Prime Minister. Huge help is going to be received from the World Bank as well. Anyway, a team of experts from seven IITs has been formed to save the Ganga. Funding is not the key to the success of any program… there must be public participation. The sincerity of the rulers is important. In the case of Ganga, these two are melting.
Ganges flow…
Born in the Gangotri glacier, Bhagirathi Deva joins the Alaknanda near Prayaga… and becomes ‘Ganga’. Approaching Haridwar… will be the Janganga. Kosi, Gomati, Shona and other rivers meet in the course of the flow. Yamuna joins near Allahabad. After that, many small rivers join the Ganges and increase the elevation. The Ganges breaks its banks near Malda in West Bengal.
From there, the Ganges flows into the Chilika… the Huglina. The main Ganga is called… Padmanadi after Malda. After entering Bangladesh, it is joined by the Jamuna, a tributary of the Brahmaputra. Later Meghna joins. After that it flows into many streams and joins the Bay of Bengal.
Source : Eenadu Sunday magazine
Link to Telugu Article – https://www.telugubharath.com/2017/06/ganga-river-puskara-vaibhavam.html