India has approximately 400 rivers which confluence into eight main river systems. Among them, the Ganges is the most important. Together with spiritual importance, it has many scientific influences on human life.
In Hindu prayers and pujas, Ganagajal is very important.
In Sanatan Dharma, it is said that Ganagajal originated from Lord Shiva’s hair. According to scientific evidence, the River Ganges contains sulphur which does not allow it to get dirty, it can absorb more oxygen from the atmosphere, and it contains calcium and magnesium, which is very helpful to the body.
Emerging from the serene atmosphere of Gaumukh deep in the Himalayas and flowing over 2,500 kilometres to join the Bay of Bengal, the bountiful is a Ganges of reverence to all Hindus. Not only has it been a source of great prosperity and happiness whenever it flowed, but on its banks are situated great centres of learning and pilgrimage that have always been dear to the Gods and mankind.
The water of the Ganges is believed to hold magical properties. The Ganges is considered sacred, the terrestrial home of the Goddess Ganga. Also called Maiyya by her devotees, she is a symbol of purification and forgiveness.
The Goddess Ganges wears white garments that are pink-tinged. She holds a water pot in one hand and a white lotus in the other. She sits on a crocodile in a Himalayan lake.
In Hinduism, Ganga is seen as a mother to humanity. Pilgrims immerse the ashes of their kin in the river Ganges, which is considered by them to bring the souls (purified spirits) closer to moksha, the liberation from the cycle of life and death. Festivals like Ganga Dussehra and Ganga Jayanti are celebrated in her honour at several sacred places, which lie along the banks of the Ganges.
There was a king named Sagar who had 60,000 sons. These sons went looking for the horse of the Ashwamedh sacrifice. The horse had been stolen by Indra and released near a place where a sage, Kapil, was in deep meditation and penance. When the sons found the horse grazing there, they thought the sage had stolen it and raised objections. Enraged at being disturbed in prayer, Kapil reduced them to ashes with his wrath.
Successors were told that the sons of Sagar could gain salvation only if the Ganges flowed over their ashes. Ganges being heaven, they were unable to bring her to earth. Later, a descendant, King Bhagirath undertook penance, living in the forests in great discomfort. When Brahma was convinced of Bhagirath’s sincere penance, he granted him a boon.
Research has confirmed that water from the Ganges does not deteriorate on storage. With its health-promoting qualities, Ganges water can be compared to celestial nectar or amrit. It is sweet, rich in a variety of minerals and destroys disease.
Some people have reported extraordinary cases of revival when Ganges water was given to a dying person. The experience has been described as similar to a fountain of life bursting inside to revive the person. Many people believe that at the time of death, a few drops of Ganges water and pieces of tulsi must be administered to a dying person.
Faith and devotion are important to gain the full benefits of bathing in the Ganges.
Once Parvati asked Shiva, “Do people who bathe in the Ganges get absolved of their sins?”
Lord Shiva responded, “Whoever has faith and devotion benefits from it. Others are more interested in the fun and frolic.”
When Parvati was not satisfied with Shiva’s response, he asked her to accompany him, as she could then witness the truth herself. Lord Shiva assumed the body of a leper and sat near the Ganges. Parvati assumed the body of a beautiful woman and sat beside him.
Crowds of people were coming and going for a bath. When they saw a beautiful woman sitting next to a leper, after a while, a man came, looked at them and complimented the woman for the devotion to her husband. He told her how impressed he was and offered to help her husband take a bath in the Ganges.
Just then, Lord Shiva assumed his real form and said, “Here is one who is truly devoted and faithful. He is the only one entitled to the virtues of bathing in the Ganges.”
The Ganga is also called the Ganga Mata (Mother), and is revered in Hindu worship and culture, venerated for her forgiveness of sins and capacity to cleanse mankind. Unlike various other goddesses, she has no destructive or fearsome aspect, destructive though she might be as a river in nature. She is also a mother to other gods.