Ganga Dussehra | Ganga Dussehra Puja | Puja Tithi and Celebration

Ganga Dussehra on Monday, June 1, 2020
Dashami Tithi Begins - 05:36 PM on May 31, 2020


Dashami Tithi Ends - 02:57 PM on Jun 01, 2020
Ganga Dussehra also known as Ganga Gangavataran is a Hindu festival celebrating the avatarana of the river Ganges. According to Hindus beliefs mother Ganga descended to the earth on this day to rid the souls of forefathers of King Bhagirath from a curse. Actually, Ganga Dussehra is different from Ganga Jayanti which is celebrated to mark her rebirth. Hindu believed that Mother Ganga lived in heavenly abodes and constantly pleasing the gods and other divine personalities. After Ganga descended the earth was purified and also attained heavenly status. Primarily Ganga Dussehra is celebrated in Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, Patna, Garhmukteshwar and prayagraj because of their location in the bank of river Ganga.

All About Mother Ganga/ River Ganga

In India, Ganga is considered a goddess and revered as Mother Ganga or Ganga Devi. As per the Hindu calendar, Ganga Dussera is celebrated on the 10th day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing Moon) of the Jyestha month (which generally falls in the month of May-June). Basically it is a ten days festival and Ganga Dussera being the last day. This festival is most popularly celebrated in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal & Bihar. The famous cities situated on the banks of Ganga like Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi, Patna, Garhmukteshwar and Prayagraj observe Ganga Dussehara with enthusiasm. The water of river Ganga is considered very pure and ever forgiving and this pure and sacred water is called as the Holy Water which is sprinkled in all auspicious religious occasions/ pujas. It is believed that Goddess Ganga is mounted on the Makara or Crocodile.

Legend of Ganga

The Legend behind the birth of Ganga comes from the Bhagavata Purana which states that when Lord Vishnu was measuring the Universe in His Vamana avatar, He stretched His left foot to reach the end point of this Universe. At that end point of the Universe He pressed the nail of His big toe to make a hole from which sprung the Divine Brahm-water, the Causal Ocean, which then flowed to the Universe as the River Ganga. Ganga is also known as Vishnupadi or Bhagavat-Padi because after birth it first touched the Lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. Mother Ganga reached and found its home in the abode of Lord Brahma which is Brahmaloka or Brahmaputra, prior to Her final descent on Earth.

The king Bhagiratha was instrumental in the avatarana of river Ganga to Earth. As per the legend, Bhagiratha was a descendant of King Sagara, whose magically created sixty thousand sons were burnt to ashes by Sage Kapila, whose rigorous meditation was disrupted by the sons of King Sagara. The souls of the sons of Sagara were wandering as ghosts because there were no final rites performed for them. The nephew of the sons of King Sagar (Anshuman) and later his son (Dilip) prayed through their lifetime to Lord Brahma to let River Ganga descend on earth to purify the souls of the sons of Sagar and liberate them but they failed. After many years later King Bhagiratha (son of Dilip) took on this task and through his prayers he convinced Lord Brahma to let Ganga come down to earth. But Mother Ganga felt insulted and with Her full force intending to sweep the Earth away fell on the head of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva trapped Her in His hair and stopped Her flow and to save Bhumi Maa (Mother Earth). Later Bhagiratha requested Lord Shiva to release river Ganga so that She could cleanse the souls of his ancestors.

Ganga Dussehra Puja / Celebration

Ganga Dussehra Puja, devotees take a dip in the sacred river Ganga which is considered to remove all sins and purify the individual. It is also believed that after dipping in this holy river all the physical ailments are washed away and give salvation. In the banks or Ghats of this river elaborate Aartis are performed in front of the idol of Ganaga Devi. Thousands of devotees participate in this ritualistic worship of Maa Ganga. At Haridwar, the celebration of this festival also attracts tourists from other countries who come to see and experience this celebration on the banks of Ganga.