Ganga Dussehra is a festival in Hindu religion which falls during Dashami Tithi of Jyeshtha or the month of May or June. This year the festival has occurred on June 14. This festival is known as Gangavataran which literally means ‘the descent of Ganga’.
This festival usually celebrated with an another festival called Nirjala Ekadashi but many a times Ganga Dussehra come along with Nirjala Ekadashi on a same day. Ganga Dussehra is fully dedicated to the Goddess Ganga. The festival should not be confused with Ganga Jayanti when, according to Puranas, the Goddess Ganga was born.
Festival has got its origin on a myth in the Hindu scriptures Goddess Ganga was sent to the earth to accomplish a mission to purge a cursed souls of 60,000 Bhagirath’s ancestors. According to the scriptures, before coming to the earth Goddess Ganga was residing in the Kamandalu (An oblong water pot made up of metal, dry gourd, coconut shell and wood of Kamandalataru tree etc.) of Lord Brahma. Scriptures say that along with her Goddess Ganga brought purity of heaven to the earth.
The day is considered as highly auspicious for offering charity or Dan-Punya. Taking bath in Ganges on this day and then offering charity is considered as the most pure deed. Many devotees worship Goddess Ganga on this day and take a bath at the Ganges. The believe is that the Ganges will wash all the sins of many lives.
Huge numbers of devotees travel to Allahabad/Prayag, Garhmukteshwar, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Varanasi to bath at the holy water on this auspicious day. In Varanasi, at Dashashwamedh Ghat, the celebration of Ganga Dussehra is legendary. Thousands of people do Ganga Snan and participate in Ganga arti at the ghat.
Read Also: Apara Ekadashi
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By Prajakt K.
