Ganga Dussehra 2022: Date, Time, History And Significance

According to the Hindu scriptures, Ganga crossed over from the celestial heavens to the earthly soil after the penance by King Bhagirath. Hence, this day is celebrated as Ganga Dussehra. This festival is celebrated mainly in the parts of North India. The water of this river has always been considered holy and is said to purify one's soul. There is also a belief that one can get rid of all their sins if one takes a holy dip in the River Ganges.

Ganga Dussehra 2022: Date, Time

Ganga Dussehra,is celebrated in the Jyeshta month, Shukla paksha on Dashami, and this year, it falls on Thursday, 09 June 2022. .

Ganga Dushera 2022: What Is Gangavataran?

The epic leap of the celestial Ganges from the heavens to the earth down below was a hair-raising event, that came down to us in anecdotal form through generations and centuries. Ganga Dussehra is also known as Ggangavataran and it is a blessed event wherein Ma Ganga flooded Earth with torrents of her sacred nectar once upon a time on a Wednesday under the hasta asterism, as per a religious belief.

Human beings are known to commit ten types of sins, which, can be cleansed and wiped off by a holy dip in the Ganges, performing charitable activities, and doing tarpan to ancestors on this auspicious day. This is the reason, why it is called Ganga Dussehra.

Ganga Dushera 2022: Legend Associated With This Day

There lived a mighty king by the name of Sagar who ruled Ayodhya. He had a son called Anshuman from his first wife, and from the second wife, he had 60000 sons. One day, the thought of doing Ashvamedha Yaga came to him. Instantly he performed it and then unleashed the Yaga horse as a part of the ritual. As the horse was roaming about, the king of the devas, the Indra, took possession of the horse, carried it to Kapila Muni's ashram, and tied it to a post there with the intention of sabotaging the benefit that King Sagar will accrue as a result of the Yaga.

King Sagar, having heard about this, sent his 60,000 sons to fetch the horse back. All the uproar and commotion that these princes caused in the ashram interrupted the peace of Kapil Muni, a sage, to such an extent that three princes were burnt alive due to his powers. Anshuman was deeply saddened by the situation and decided to approach Garuda (a mythological figure who is a mix of a eagle and human) for a solution.

Garuda was of the firm opinion that the souls of his 60,000 brothers attain peace and liberation only if their mortal remains were moistened with Ganga Jal from the heavens. Anshuman took to deep meditation to achieve his purpose, but he failed.

Similarly, the Tapasya of his son Dileep to bring Ganga down to earth met with failure. Finally, Dileep's son Bhagirath visited Gokarna tirtha to do the required penance to bring Ganga Jal (water). This time, his prayers were answered by Lord Brahma who was pleased with Bhagirath. The question that remained was to find someone who can handle the plunging torrents of Ganga.

As per the instruction of Brahma, Lord Shankar agreed to help Bhagirath after bhagirath penanced hard again, this time, to please Lord Shiva who agreed to control and handle the deluge of the Ganges by his matted locks. Through the Himalayas Ganges made her way down to the earth. Due to this Bhagirath's involvement, Ganga came to be known as Bhagirathi.

Ganga Dushera 2022: History And Significance

It is a staunch Hindu belief that a holy dip in the Ganges in the early hours of the Ganga Dussehra and an aarti performed thereafter, will cleanse the sins of the devotees. Helping the poor financially and doing charity in other ways, will alleviate their pain and suffering and it has a very beneficial impact on the life of the giver. It is a widespread belief that the Ganges is pure, germless, and noncontaminated and hence has a therapeutic effect on the worshipper.

Even psychological afflictions can be cured by bathing in Ganga. By immersing our heads in the holy waters of the Ganges, we can cleanse our body, mind, and heart. Tarpan, bath, and meditation is done on this day allowing us to experience her divinity in ways more than one. Even the aquatic creatures floating in the river Ganges are sure to achieve liberation. Bathing in the Ganges is especially significant as it washes away the ancestral curses, and sins of the past several lifetimes. It is so pure that it does not show any signs of rotting even if stored for a year.

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