Travel to the Ganges – India’s Holiest River
To the Hindus, who have performed these practices for millenia, the Ganges is more than just a river. It is the holy goddess Ganga, who descended to earth and was wound in the hair of Vishnu before lying on the earth as the river we see today. Considering that Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world, the Ganges is sacred to a large portion of the Earth’s population.
Ironically, it is due to the very reverence with which the Hindus hold the Ganges that has caused it to become so polluted. Believing that the water of the Ganges is perfect, that nothing can defile it, they do nothing to protect it from outside pollutants. The millions of people bathing in its waters and the countless dead bodies and ashes thrown into it only add to the problem.
However, no amount of pollution will stop devout pilgrims from travelling to the banks of the Ganges, descending to the river on ghats, holy steps that take a pilgrim from the top of the bank to the river itself. Many of the most devout pilgrims will even walk the entire 1500 mile distance of the river. As it cannot stop these faithful followers, it also does little to stop tourists coming from around the world to see this amazing river.
Devprayag�¯�¿�½
The mouth of the Ganges lays buried deep in the Himalayan Mountains, at the edge of the Gangotri Glacier. The mouth has its own special name: Gaumukh, which means “Cow Mouth.” At the mouth of the river it is not actually called the Ganges, but the Baghirathi River.
The Ganges does not become the Ganges until the Baghirathi merges with the Alaknanda River. At the point of this merger, nestled amidst the dramatic mountain gorges created by the two rivers sits the town of Devprayag.
Because of its vital location at the merging of these two rivers, Devprayag is one of the more important centers of pilgrimage. It is also a common starting point for those who raft the turbulent waters of the Ganges.
Haridwar: Gateway of the Gods�¯�¿�½
It is at the town of Haridwar that the Goddess Ganga descends from the monumental mountains of the Himalayas and begins her trek across the vast Indian plains. Because it is situated on the Ganges at the edge of the mountains Haridwar is often referred to as the “Gateway of the Gods.”
Unlike other holy cities along the Ganges, Haridwar is surprisingly bare of ancient temples and holy buildings. The focus when one is in Haridwar is completely upon the Ganges, and the many holy ghats and more recent temples..
The main ghat of Haridwar is Har-ki-Pauri. It is given this name because there is supposedly an imprint of the foot of the god Vishnu at the site. Every evening hundreds of the faithful celebrate the local aarti (or daily prayers, where leaf boats filled with flowers and lit lamps are sent down the Ganges) at this ghat. It also plays in an important role in the Kumbh Mela festival, held every twelve years in the city.
Further south along the Ganges a ropeway connects Haridwar to the Mansa Devi Temple. Located atop a hill across the river from the town, standing in the temple offers a beautiful panoramic view of the holy pilgrimage site of Haridwar.
About 15 miles upriver from Haridwar lies its sister city Rishikesh. Smaller than Haridwar, it is best known for a number of famous ashrams “schools.” Rishikesh is also the beginning of the holy Char Dham pilgrimage route.
Allahabad�¯�¿�½
Another important point upon the river is the convergence of the Ganges with the Yamuna river, as well as the mythical Saraswati. At this important focal point lies the city of Allahabad. Allahabad is an actual city, much larger than Devprayag and Haridwar put together with a population of almost a million people. Like Haridwar, it is also one of the four host cities of the Kumb Mela.
Allahabad is not the original name of the city. It was conquered in the 16th Century by the Islamic Mughals who gave the city its current name. It is known in Indian history as the birth place of the first Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and also played an important role in the nation’s Independence movement of the first half of the 20th Century.
The city holds many attractions other than the Ganges itself. Allahabad Fort was built in 1583 by the Mughal emperor Akbar. It lies on the edge of the convergence of the river. While one can see it from many parts of the city, the fort itself is closed off to the public.
Next to the fort is the Hindu temple Akshaivata. Located at the temple complex is a banyan tree, which Hindu legend holds that anyone who leaps from its branches will be saved from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth.
Another icon of the Mughal occupation of Allahabad is Khusrau Bagh on the western edge of the city. These beautiful, tranquil gardens are named after the son of the Emperor Jahangir, who led an unsuccessful rebellion against his father and was later murdered.
For those interested in learning more about the impressive history of Allahabad, the Allahabad Museum is open every Tuesday through Sunday. One can also visit Anand Bhaven, the ancestral home of the Nehru-Gandhi family, India’s premier political dynasty also open Tuesday through Sunday.
About 39 miles outside of the city lies the archaeological site of Kausambi. Local legend holds that this ancient city was built by the Pandava family, who were the heroes of the mighty Hindu epic the . Archaeologists have found that the site was also once the home of a flourishing Buddhist community between 600 BCE and 600 CE.
Varanasi�¯�¿�½
At the city of Allahabad, when the Ganges meets with the Yamuna, the river stops its mostly southern flow and begins to flow almost due east. As one travels eastward from Allahabad, the next major city along the Ganges is Varanasi, considered by Hindus to be the holiest of spots on the holiest of rivers.
According to Hindu tradition, the Lord Shiva burrowed into twelve Indian cities then burst into the sky as a pillar of light. This a very important element in Hindu mythology, and also according to the tradition it was in Varanasi that he first did this. Combine this fact with the city’s proximity to the Ganges, the living Goddess Ganga, and one can understand the religious importance of the city.
Twice the size of Allahabad with 2,000,000 residents, the city of Varanasi is focused almost entirely upon the holy religious work of being in such proximity to the Ganges. Varanasi holds over 700 temples, but the river itself is the strongest attraction to pilgrims and the devout, with thousands visiting its shores every day to bathe in its holy waters.
An amazing 90 ghats line the banks of the river in Varanasi, from Asi Ghat to the west to Adi Keshava Ghat in the east. Each of these ghats has their own special history and meaning, such as the Tulsi Ghat which was originally named Lolarka Ghat. The name was changed in the 16th Century after the poet Tulsidas, who lived by the ghat. His house and temple still reside nearby.
The Ramlila, still practiced in Varanasi today, is one of the legacies of this important Hindu poet. It is a cycle of plays which takes place every September and October in venues throughout the city recreating the Hindu epic the Ramayana. The Ramlila is based upon Tulsidas’s own popular version of the Ramayana, the Ramcharitmanas.
The holiest spot in this holiest city on this holiest river is the Dasashvamedha Ghat, located almost exactly in the center of the city. It is named after dasashvamedh, the ten simultaneous horse sacrifices performed by Brahma, the Creator and high god of the Hindu pantheon. One will find row after row of priests lining this very important ghat, sitting under bamboo parasols to protect themselves from the Sun while waiting to perform ritual prayers on the many pilgrims who travel to this spot.
Aside from visiting the many temples and ghats of Varanasi on land, it is also possible to take a boat ride upon the Ganges itself. Taking a boat ride at sunrise is one of the most popular attractions of the city, and they take place at many different points upon the river in Varanasi.
Varanasi is also littered with Akharas, or wrestling arenas. Varanasi holds some of the most famous Akharas in all of India. Men live an train here full time in order to improve themselves not only physically through the sport of wrestling but spiritually.
Other points of interest in the city would include the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum, open Monday through Saturday. Among other things the Bharat Kala Bhavan houses one of the most impressive collections of Indian paintings in all of India.
One can also visit the Ramnagar Fort, located just across the river from the Asi Ghat. This fort was once home to the Maharajahs of Varanasi for 4 centuries, and how is a historical site and museum, open to the public daily.
The Kumbh Mela�¯�¿�½
The Kumbh Mela is one of the most important religious festivals in Hinduism. It is also one of the most attended. It occurs every three years at one of four cities: Allahabad and Haridwar, which both lie on the Ganges river, as well as Ujjain and Nasik, which do not.
According to Hindu legend, during a war over the immortal nectar between the gods and demons of Hinduism, Vishnu gave the urn (kumbh) holding the nectar to his flying mount Garuda. While taking the urn to safety four drops fell from the urn, one in Allahabad, one each in Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik.
Every three years, certain planetary configurations converge to turn the holy waters of the Ganges in one of these spots into this immortal nectar. Pilgrims come from far and wide to bathe in the Ganges during this time. Over 30 million of the faithful attended the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in the year 2001, all of them bathing in the river on Mauni Amavasya, the most sacred of the six main bathing days.
Rafting the River Ganges�¯�¿�½
Beginning in September, after the torrential rains of the monsoon season, the rapids of the northern Ganges become very powerful and an attraction to thrill-seekers from around the world. Between the months of September and April the Ganges is very popular with white-water rafters.
Because of the dangers of the river, however, only organized, authorized tours guided by certified experts are allowed.�¯�¿�½ The most popular beginning site for rafters is Kaudiyala, just a few miles south of Devprayag. It also hosts camping sites along the river bank.
There are many interesting stops along the river as one rafts down it, a journey that generally takes 2 or 3 days (in the 22 mile stretch that is accessible for the sport). Shivpuri, Brahmapuri, Lakshman Jhula are all popular stops along the way, giving rafters a chance to experience Hindu history and culture as well as the mightiness of the Goddess Ganga.
All in all, the Ganges offers tourists a wide array of amazing and spectacular sights, smells and sounds: a plethora of experiences from white-water rafting to viewing the Ramlila plays of Varanasi. For anyone interested in travel to India, at least one of the spots along the Ganges should be high on the list of places to visit.
