NEWS – Ganga Dussehra 2024 held

HIGHLIGHTS

Ganga Dussehra, celebrated on June 16, 2024, commemorates the birth anniversary of Goddess Ganga. This festival highlights the divine descent and significance of the holy river Ganga in Hindu mythology. According to Hindu Scriptures, Goddess Ganga descended to earth on Dashami Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Jyeshtha.

Significance

• Religious Importance: Ganga Dussehra holds great religious and spiritual significance among Hindus. The festival honors the descent of Goddess Ganga to earth, an event believed to purify souls and cleanse sins.
• Spiritual Beliefs: Devotees believe that taking a holy dip in the Ganga on this day can relieve suffering, cleanse past sins, and provide spiritual purity and salvation.
• Goddess Ganga: Known by various names such as Shubhra, Bhagirathi, Mandakini, Shivapriya, and Jahnavi, Goddess Ganga is considered a living deity who continues to purify devotees through her waters.

Rituals

• Holy Dip: Devotees take a holy dip in the river Ganga to cleanse themselves of sins and negativity.
• Prayers and Offerings: People offer prayers and perform rituals to seek blessings from Goddess Ganga.
• Festivities: The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm, including processions, rituals, and offerings at the banks of the river.

Mythological Story

• Penancing for Ancestors: Sage Bhagirathi performed strict penance to Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva to bring Goddess Ganga to earth to release his ancestors from a curse and grant them salvation.
• Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva: Lord Brahma advised Bhagirathi to appease Lord Shiva, who alone could control Ganga’s powerful flow.
• Divine Descent: Goddess Ganga emerged from the foot of Lord Vishnu. Lord Shiva caught Ganga in his hair to control her flow before releasing her to the earth.