Gangafalls on the full moon day (Purnima) in the month of Kartik (mid-November to mid-December), which is the eighth month of the Indian lunar calendar. People bathe on this specific day and pray to Goddess Ganga. They also take an oath that they will not commit any sin.
The significance of this ritual is that if a sinner confesses his sin and starts leading an honest life, he can attain heaven. Bathing in the Ganga is considered equivalent to a confession that one has committed sins in life and he or she has promised to lead an honest lifestyle thereafter, living a sinless life. But if a person again starts committing sins, such a person can never attain heaven even after bathing a thousand times in the Ganga.
There is a story regarding the significance of Ganga Snan. Once, Lord Shiva wanted to see the Earth and so he came down to Earth along with Parvati and Nandi. On their arrival, they saw hundreds of people heading towards the Ganga for a holy bath.
Parvati was surprised and asked Lord Shiva, “You told me that whoever bathes in the Ganga gets salvation and comes to heaven. Do you think that there is sufficient place in heaven for all these people who are heading towards the Ganga?” Lord Shiva smiled and said, “Only a very few of them will be able to come to heaven. Only the person who has come for a holy bath with a pious mind and promises not to commit any sin thereafter can come to heaven. Most of these people have come simply to get rid of their responsibilities, or just show off their religious mind, and some are only satisfying their ego by bathing in the Ganga. Such people will never attain the desired results of a holy dip.”
But Parvati wanted to see for herself, So she told Shiva that she wanted to go to the Ganges riverbank. Both disguised themselves, Shiva as a man afflicted with leprosy and Parvati as his beautiful wife. The disguised Parvati started asking for help. She asked passers-by to help her give a holy bath to her husband so that he would be relieved from this miserable disease. But no one listened to them. Some passed sarcastic and mean comments, while others asked her to leave her leper husband, and still others tried to convince her to marry them and leave the leper husband.
Only one person offered to help and took the disguised Shiva for a holy bath. Then Shiva and Parvati appeared before him in their true form, and blessed him.
Parvati also experienced at first-hand what Lord Shiva had told her.
Festivals of Ganga:
Ganga Dussehra
Ganga Dussehra is a festival celebrated in the honour of Goddess Ganga. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the month of Jyaishtha (mid-May to mid-June) in Shukla Paksha. On this day, Goddess Ganga descended to Earth. The word “Dussehra” means that which takes away ten sins.
On this day, people wake up early in the morning and take a holy dip in the Ganga by chanting “Har Har Gange, Har Har Gange”. In places that are far away from the Ganga, people bathe in nearby tank or river and pray to the Ganga. Bathing in the Ganga on this particular day is more significant according to the Hindu scriptures.
Besides Ganga Dussehra,
Ganga in Mahabharata
An interesting story of Ganga is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Ganga was Bhisma’s mother. King Shantanu, Bhisma’s father, fell in love with Ganga.
Ganga promised to marry him under one condition that Shantanu will never question any action of hers. The king agreed and they got married. When their children were born, Ganga would, each and every time, float them in the river. She did it till the seventh child. When she was about to float the eighth child in the river, King Shantanu stopped her.
As the king broke his promise, Ganga left him forever. Ganga informed him that she was saving the children from a curse. The eighth child was the last cursed child. After that they could have lived happily. Now, the eighth child would have to suffer for that curse. We have read in the Mahabharata the sufferings that Bhisma faced throughout his life.
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The significance of this ritual is that if a sinner confesses his sin and starts leading an honest life, he can attain heaven. Bathing in the Ganga is considered equivalent to a confession that one has committed sins in life and he or she has promised to lead an honest lifestyle thereafter, living a sinless life. But if a person again starts committing sins, such a person can never attain heaven even after bathing a thousand times in the Ganga.
There is a story regarding the significance of Ganga Snan. Once, Lord Shiva wanted to see the Earth and so he came down to Earth along with Parvati and Nandi. On their arrival, they saw hundreds of people heading towards the Ganga for a holy bath.
Parvati was surprised and asked Lord Shiva, “You told me that whoever bathes in the Ganga gets salvation and comes to heaven. Do you think that there is sufficient place in heaven for all these people who are heading towards the Ganga?” Lord Shiva smiled and said, “Only a very few of them will be able to come to heaven. Only the person who has come for a holy bath with a pious mind and promises not to commit any sin thereafter can come to heaven. Most of these people have come simply to get rid of their responsibilities, or just show off their religious mind, and some are only satisfying their ego by bathing in the Ganga. Such people will never attain the desired results of a holy dip.”
But Parvati wanted to see for herself, So she told Shiva that she wanted to go to the Ganges riverbank. Both disguised themselves, Shiva as a man afflicted with leprosy and Parvati as his beautiful wife. The disguised Parvati started asking for help. She asked passers-by to help her give a holy bath to her husband so that he would be relieved from this miserable disease. But no one listened to them. Some passed sarcastic and mean comments, while others asked her to leave her leper husband, and still others tried to convince her to marry them and leave the leper husband.
Only one person offered to help and took the disguised Shiva for a holy bath. Then Shiva and Parvati appeared before him in their true form, and blessed him.
Parvati also experienced at first-hand what Lord Shiva had told her.
Festivals of Ganga:
Ganga Dussehra
Ganga Dussehra is a festival celebrated in the honour of Goddess Ganga. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the month of Jyaishtha (mid-May to mid-June) in Shukla Paksha. On this day, Goddess Ganga descended to Earth. The word “Dussehra” means that which takes away ten sins.
On this day, people wake up early in the morning and take a holy dip in the Ganga by chanting “Har Har Gange, Har Har Gange”. In places that are far away from the Ganga, people bathe in nearby tank or river and pray to the Ganga. Bathing in the Ganga on this particular day is more significant according to the Hindu scriptures.
Besides Ganga Dussehra,
Ganga in Mahabharata
An interesting story of Ganga is mentioned in the Mahabharata. Ganga was Bhisma’s mother. King Shantanu, Bhisma’s father, fell in love with Ganga.
Ganga promised to marry him under one condition that Shantanu will never question any action of hers. The king agreed and they got married. When their children were born, Ganga would, each and every time, float them in the river. She did it till the seventh child. When she was about to float the eighth child in the river, King Shantanu stopped her.
As the king broke his promise, Ganga left him forever. Ganga informed him that she was saving the children from a curse. The eighth child was the last cursed child. After that they could have lived happily. Now, the eighth child would have to suffer for that curse. We have read in the Mahabharata the sufferings that Bhisma faced throughout his life.
Get More Vaastu Tips By Dr Puneet Chawla
Contact :- 9899777806 / 9873333108
Email :- contact@livevaastu.com
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