Ganga Dussehra, also known as Gangavataran, is a significant Hindu festival that commemorates the descent of the holy River Ganga from heaven to Earth.
Date:
Ganga Dussehra is celebrated annually on the Dashami (10th day) of the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu calendar month of Jyeshtha. In 2025, Ganga Dussehra will be celebrated on June 5, 2025.
Significance:
The festival holds immense spiritual importance for Hindus. It is believed that on this day, Mother Ganga descended to Earth to purify and liberate humanity from sins. The story goes that King Bhagirath performed intense penance to bring Ganga to Earth to cleanse the ashes of his ancestors and grant them salvation. Lord Shiva helped in this by receiving Ganga’s powerful flow in his matted locks, thus controlling its force and preventing destruction.
Taking a holy dip in the Ganges on this day is believed to cleanse devotees of ten types of sins (dasha means ten, and hara means destroy), or even ten lifetimes of sins, leading to spiritual purification and liberation (moksha).
Rituals and Celebrations:
Ganga Dussehra is celebrated with great devotion, especially in states where the Ganga flows, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. Major celebrations take place in1 cities like Haridwar, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Garhmukteshwar, and Patna.
Common rituals and practices include:
- Holy Dip (Ganga Snan): Devotees take a sacred bath in the Ganges, often during the Brahma Muhurta (pre-dawn period), believing it washes away sins and brings purification and healing.
- Ganga Aarti: Elaborate evening aartis are performed at the riverbanks, particularly at places like Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. Lamps are lit, hymns are sung, and offerings are made to the goddess.
- Deep Daan: Floating diyas (lamps) on leaf boats with flowers, sweets, and betel leaves in the Ganga is a common practice to honor the goddess and seek blessings.
- Offerings and Charity (Dan-Punya): Devotees offer various items to Goddess Ganga, often in sets of ten (flowers, milk, fruits, sarees). Donations of food, water, clothes, and money are also made to Brahmins and the needy, as these acts are believed to bring amplified blessings.
- Fasting: Many devotees observe a fast, abstaining from food and water for a period, to seek Ganga’s blessings and enhance spiritual discipline.
- Puja and Meditation: Special pujas are performed, and Vedic hymns and mantras are chanted to worship Ganga. Meditating by the river is also a way to connect with its divine energy.
- Pitra Tarpan: Offerings are made to ancestors on the riverbank to help liberate their souls.
- Distribution of Prasad and Cool Drinks: Given the intense Indian summer, distributing water and cooling drinks like lassi and sharbat is considered a sacred act of compassion.
- Cultural Programs: Towns organize cultural events with religious music, bhajan performances, and traditional dances to honor Ganga’s sacred history.
The festival underscores the deep reverence Hindus have for the River Ganga, considering it not merely a river but a divine mother (Maa Ganga) who bestows peace, salvation, and liberation.
