Every year pilgrims from all over India celebrates Ganga Dussehra by taking a holy dip into ganga river. One can’t describe the importance and glory of the Ganga Dussehra in words. Pilgrims celebrate this festival in the eternal city of Haridwar and few other places such as Rishikesh, Patna, and Allahabad, and every Hindu or anyone who has been to this festival before will know how much significance the Ganga River holds in Hindu culture. The Holy River Ganga is filled with pilgrims and devotes almost every day, but this practice of worshipping this River reaches its peak each year during the Ganga Dussehra festival.
Despite the temperature being an all-time high, a lot of individuals gave a visit to the Ganga River in this year’s Ganga Dussehra. If you are someone who is also planning to visit Haridwar during this festival, then here are a few tips that will make your trip a lot more convenient.
Legends say it is during these very days the goddess Ganga/ or the Ganges decent to the realm of mortals, i.e. Earth from heaven.
According to the Hindu calendar, the occasion Ganga Dussehra is celebrated in the Jyeshtha month on the tenth day of the waxing moon. Pilgrims celebrate this festival for ten days – 9 days before the main event.
It’s a common belief among the pilgrims and devotes that taking a dip in the holy River Ganga throughout the ten days of Ganga Dussehra washes away all of the sins. Thousands of devotees visit Haridwar to get rid of their sins and get blessings from the goddess Ganga.
Importance of Ganga Dussehra
As already mentioned above, this festival is dedicated to Goddess Ganga, who descended from heaven on this very day. Legends have it that Goddess Ganga was residing in Lord Brahma’s Kamandal before coming to earth to purify the cursed souls of the ancestors of Bhagirathi. It is also said that she bought the purity of heaven with herself during that time, which is the reason why this place is known to be a religious place.
Ganga Dussehra: Pooja Vidhi
Hindus of North-Indian states, namely Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal celebrate Ganga Dussehra. One can attend the celebration of Ganga Dussehra at Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Garhmukteshwar, Patna, and Allahabad, in each of these destinations, devotees gather at the bank of the Ganga river to perform Aartis.
Some other activities that you can do on Ganga Dussehra festival
On the Har-Ki-Pauri Ghat, several Bhandaras are organized where food is distributed to everyone. These food kitchens accept donations, so if you feel like it, you can donate some amount.
You can also go and explore Maya Devi Temple and the nearby Daksheshwar Prajapati temple and Bhairon Temple on the way. You also have the option of visiting the Mansa Devi temple and Chandi Devi temple, but we do not recommend them because they are too crowded during Ganga Dussehra time.
As I have stated at the beginning of this article, no one can describe the beauty of these festivals in words. Hence, to get a complete picture of what you will get to experience witness for yourself what it means to be at any of these cities during the time of this festival.