Ganga Dussehra
24th May 2018 (Thursday)

Ganga Dussehra is a hindu festival take place on the banks of Ganga river , celebrating the descent of Ganga. The festival is also known as Gangavataran. Ganga Dussehra is mainly celebrated in  Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and West Bengal. Haridwar, Varanasi, Garhmukteshwar, Rishikesh, Allahabad  and Patna are the main locations of celebration. The festival lasts for 10 days. In these festival days devotees gather on the banks of  Ganga and  perform Aarathi. It is believed that taking a dip in the river on this day washes out all sins and also heal physical ailments. Devottes collect Ganga water in sealed pots and carry to their homes. Any sacred occasion comes, they use this holy water.

River Ganga plays an important role in hindu religion. Hindus consider Ganga  as a mother, a goddess, and  a symbol of divinity, holiness, purity and moksha. For them she is a mother, a goddess and a stream of life.  Bathing in the holy water of Ganga, cremation at its Ghats  and dipping of ashes in the water are believed to be holy according to Hindu belief.   Ganga originates from Gomuk, at Himalaya mountain region and flows through Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and finally meets the waters of Bay of Bengal. In Allahabad Ganga merges with river Yamuna and mythical river Saraswathi. The meeting place is known as Prayag, and is considered as one of the most sacred place on earth.

Places like Kannauj, Kampilya, Kara, Prayag also known as  Allahabad, Kashi, Pataliputra also known as Patna, Hajipur, Munger, Bhagalpur, Murshidabad, Baharampur, Nabadwip, Saptagram, Kolkata and Dhaka are situated on the banks of Ganga.

Ganga Lahiri  is a  popular paean composed by the poet Jagannatha who lived in  seventeenth century.

Ganga Lahiri  begins with “I come to you as a child to his mother,”