Ganga Sagar

7/22/2019 Ganga Sagar

1/11

Ganga Sagar

Kapil Muni AshramAccording to the legend, King Sagara of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruling at Ayodhya in UttarPradesh had two queens, Keshani and Sumati, but neither had a child. Sagara erformed

severe austerities before his wives could roduce sons. !ut whereas Keshani gave birth to ason called Asma"as, Sumati bore #$,$$$ sons. Sagara erformed the Ashwamedha %agya


2/11

sacrifice to declare his su&erainty over the neighbouring kingdoms. According to therevalent custom, the sacrificial horse was let loose and allowed to wander into the

neighbouring kingdoms. If the horse was caught, a battle ensued and the outcome decidedthe winner. 'he #$,$$$ sons of Sagara were following the horse when they saw him enter a

cavern where sage Kail (uni was meditating. )ot seeing the horse in the cavern, they

resumed that Kaila had catured it. 'hey did not kill Kail (uni as he was a sage butthey started disturbing his meditations. Annoyed at being disturbed, Kail (uni with a curse

burnt the #$,$$$ sons of Sagara.

'ime assed and later !hagiratha, the great grandson of Sagara, chanced to come acrossthe bones of his dead ancestors. *e wanted to erform the shraddha of his ancestors butthere was no water available for the ceremony. Agastya having drunk all the waters of theocean, the country was assing through a severe drought. !hagiratha rayed to !rahma,the +reator, to end the drought. !rahma asked him to ray to ishnu, the Preserver, to allowthe heavenly -anga, issuing from *is big toe, to come down to earth. ishnu when rayedto by !hagiratha agreed, but asked him to request Shiva, the third member of the *indutrinity of -ods, to allow the torrential rain to fall on his head before it came to the earth asthe river was very forceful and if she were allowed to come down unchecked, her fall would

slit the earth. Shiva agreed to take the gigantic weight of the cascading -anga on thematted hair iled high on his head. 'his ensnared and delayed the rogress of the riverwhich, in meandering through the labyrinth of his hair, lost its force and then gentlydescended to the *imalayas from whence it flowed to the lains bestowing its waters on thearched earth. And that is why the anthroomorhic image of -anga is shown in the mattedhair of Shiva who is also called -angadhara. !eing born in the *imalayas, -anga isconsidered the elder sister of Parvati, who is also a daughter of the *imalayas

Kapil Muni

Kapil Muni was the son of Kardam Rishi and Daksh's daughter Devahooti. He was Avataarof Vishnu. Kardam Rishi had nine daughters also. After the irth of Kapil! Kardam Muni


3/11

went to forest for "ap. #ater he prea$hed Saankh%a &og to his mother.

n$e he was sitting in Samaadhi in his Aashram! that Raa(aa Sagar's )*!*** sons $amethere in sear$h of their father's &ag%a horse. "he% found it tied with a tree near% him! so

the% thought that Kapil Muni had stolen it. "he% started telling him some ad words. KapilMuni opened his e%es and all of them were urned to ashes.

"hen Raa(aa Sagar sent his grandson Anshumaan in sear$h of his )*!*** sons. He tra$edhis un$les' footsteps and arrived at Kapil Muni's Aashram. He saw a mound of ashes nearhis Aashram. He understood ever%thing. He greeted him and $ame to know the fate of his

un$les. He asked him as how he $ould give them Mukti +eman$ipation,. Kapil Munisuggested him to ring Gangaa on -rithvi so that her water $an give them Mukti.

'he ganges river is known as (other -anga.

-anga sagar is the end of mother ganga /$$ Km. course where shemeets the bay of bengal.

Poulation0 /1 million+aital0 +alcutta

Area0 22,$$$ sq km!est 'ime to isit0 3ctober to (arch

(ain 4anguage0 !engali4iteracy 5ate0 167


4/11

Initially, river -anga flowed in the heavens. She was brought down to earth by the severeenances of the sage !hagiratha and that is why she is also called !hagirathi. According to the

story, of the descent of the -anga, once a number of demons were harassing the hermits bydisturbing them in their ascetic duties. 8uring the day, they would be chased into the ocean. !ut in

the darkness of the night, they would emerge from the ocean and start harassing the hermitsagain. In deseration the hermits aealed to 5ishi Agastya. Agastya, known for his gastronomic

owers, drank all the water of the ocean. 'hough this was done in good faith, it resulted inderiving the world of the water needed for sustenance and the earth became arched and dry.

!hagiratha brought this drought to and end.


5/11

-angau"an 8ashahara or 8ussehra

'his is literally the 9birthday or descent of mother -anges : -anga (a9. 'hroughout india thisfestival lasts ten days beginning on the Amavasya ;dark moon night< and going through to the

dasami tithi ;tenth hase of the (oon, the day before Pandava )ir"al =kadasiestivals connected with rivers are essentially bathing festivals. -anga 8ussehra is celebrated onthe tenth day of ?yeshtha. 5iver -anga is worshied as a mother as well as a -oddess,articularly by eole of Uttara Pradesh, !ihar, and !engal through which the river flows. 3n this

day, if a devotee is unable to visit and bathe in the river -anga, then -anga "al ;water< ket inmost *indu homes is used for urification. A bath in the river is said to urify the bather of all sins.

'he -anga is revered all over India even in laces far from its course


6/11

According to the Agni Purana and Padma Purana, the -anga descended to the earth on -anga8ussehra day and a bath in the holy river on this day is said to urify one of all sins. 'o die on thebanks of the -anga is considered most ausicious. If that is not ossible, then the immersion ofthe ashes after cremation in the river -anga is a must, as it then releases one from the cycles of

birth and re:birth.

the seven ways of worshiing the -anga are0 by calling out her name, @3h -anga@ havingdarshan of her by toughing her waters by worshiing and bathing by standing in the waters of

the river and by carrying clay dug out of the river. -anga in her anthroomorhic form is shown asa beautiful young woman standing on a crocodile and holding a waterot in her hands. *er image,

with that of the -oddess %amuna, another sacred river deity, is often deicted on the doors oftemles and alaces. In -u"arat, there is a legend according to which -anga came down to the

earth on 5ishi Panchami, the fifth day of !hadra ;Setember< at 'arnetar.


7/11


8/11

'he river -anga which originates in the -angotri glacier in the snow clad *imalayas, descendsdown the mountains, reaches the lains at *aridwar, flows through ancient ilgrimage sites suchas !enares and Prayag, and drains into the !ay of !engal. Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river*ooghly in !engal ;accessed from 8iamond *arbor


9/11

ashes of the ancestors of !hagiratha were urified by the waters of the -anga.

'he Kaila muni temle at this site is a center of worshi. 'he origins of this temle are obscuredin antiquity : the current structure being a recent one, housing a stone block considered to be a

reresentation of Kaila (uni there are are also images of !hagiratha, 5ama and Sita.

A di in the ocean, where the -anga drains into the sea is considered to be of great religioussignificance articularly on the (akara Sankranti day when the sun makes a transition to +aricorn

from Saggitarius and this town becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses;sanyasis< from all over the state.

-anga Sagar (ela A 8i for (oksha

'he village riest leading his horde of devotees chants sab teerth baar baar, -anga Sagar ekbar. %ou can go to all the holy laces, but a ilgrimage to -anga Sagar equals them all. A di

means redemtion for all wrong done. 'his lace is Sagar Island, on the confluence of the-anga with the !ay of !engal. 'he day B(akar SankrantiC or the last day of the month of

Paus ;8ecember


10/11

roaganda is carried out and overall no authority eFists for carrying out the mela.

It is indeed a tough "ourney. A few days in acked buses and trains bring the ilgrims to+alcutta. >rom there, again a long bus "ourney to ferry ghats or "etty in Sunderbans area,followed by crossing the tidal river stretching for miles across. 'he last leg involves either

walking or traveling by a local bus uto G$ kilometres deending on the location ofembarkation oint.

'he "ourney can be tiring but religious fervour of the ilgrims overcomes all hardshis. Kail(uni ki "ai, Kail (uni ki "ai, ;*ail Kail (uni


11/11

At midnight, the high tide drives the ilgrims back. 'he biting cold wind of mid H ?anuary fromacross the sea lashes the bare body. !ut there is a confidence on their faces and a kind offire in their eyes. 'he confidence in -od and the fire of earnest faith makes them brave the

chill.

'he stars in the sky have quite a long time to fade when the moment of truth comes. As soonas the riest announces, the ausicious re:dawn hour, the crowds surge forward to meet the

tide with a loud chorus Kail (uni ki "ai and lunge into the sea. Suddenly the lace ischarged with the eFtraordinary ower of the believers.

After taking their holy dis, the shivering devotees trudge the one kilometre eFanse leadingto the brightly lit temle of Kail (uni, where rayers were erformed. +oconuts, flowers,

vermilion, sweets, and money are offered to the image of the ancient sage.

'he bustle of activity continues for quite sometime in the morning as the ilgrims erform aseries of rituals including the symbolic godan to !rahmins. A calf is symbolically handed over

to the !rahmin riest by the devotee. (any erform the symbolic crossing of the river ofblood, baitarani to attain moksha or transcendation. It is interesting to observe the eole,

clutching the tail of a cow and wading through a uddle a few aces. (any eole shave theirheads and erform the last rites of dearted relatives.

A number of marriages are solemni&ed on the beach during the day. Also, many local girlsget married to the sea. 'his will ensure that theoretically they never become widows, even if

their menfolk, braving the rough sea and tiger infested "ungle for a living, die.

It is no wonder that for many tourists from abroad, like though >rench coule I met, Sagarmela is something more than a mammoth religious congregation. 'hey have visited the melatwice and found Bsomething which has disaeared from >rance and =uroe at least half a

century agoC.

)aturally this large an affair leads to some confusion. Peole get lost. 'he ublic addresssystem works overtime as relatives try to trace those they have lost.

!ut the ma"ority of the ilgrims take it easy. After the rituals are comlete, they dry theirclothes and hair, cook their food on oen fires, eat and rest. *ay, contented and smiling,

having made the ilgrimage.

'he -anga Sagar mela continues to throb with life, with the energy of millions of ilgrims. 'heilgrimage may be eFtremely tough, but the ilgrims know that the visit will urify their souls.'he visit fulfils their lifelong desire and often one can see tears of "oy rolling down theircheeks. 'hat is the magic of religion.

Ganga Sagar

Documents

Transcript of Ganga Sagar