(
Hinduism,
Sanskrit:
Ganga the
Ganges +
puja "worship")
The Holy Day in which the sacred river Ganga (the Ganges) descended upon earth through the
heavens. All Hindus worship this most holy of rivers
on this day. In the Bhagavatapurana, the event is described thus:
After many thousands of years of austerities, Maharaja
Bhagiratha, desiring to bring the Ganges to earth in
order to purify his ancestors, was able to achieve
darshana of Ganga-devi. She said, "I am very much
satisfied with your austerities and am now prepared to
give you benedictions as you desire. When I fall from
the sky to the surface of the planet earth, the water
will certainly be very forceful. Who will sustain
that force?" Bhagiratha replied, "Lord Shiva is the
incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
thus he represents the Supersoul in the embodied soul.
He can sustain your forceful waves upon His head."
Then Maharaja Bhagiratha approached Lord Shiva and
requested Him to sustain the forceful waves of the
Ganges. Lord Shiva accepted the proposal by saying,
"Let it be so." Then, with great attention, he
sustained the Ganges on His head, for the water of the
Ganges is purifying, haveing emanated from the toes of
Lord Vishnu.
Bhag., Canto 9, Ch. 9, Texts 3-14(*)
Srila Prabhupada explains thus, in the Bhaktivedanta purport:
Simply by having water from the Ganges come in
contact with the ashes of their burnt bodies, the
forefathers of Maharaja Bhagiratha were elevated to
the heavenly planets. Therefore, what can be said of
a devotee who worships mother Ganges faithfully with a
determined vow? One can only imagine the benefit that
accrues to such a devotee.
Because Mother Ganges emanates from the lotus toe of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Anantadeva, she is
able to liberate one from material bondage. Therefore
whatever is described herewith about her is not at all
wonderful.
(*) Ordinarily I would have quoted the sanskrit, too, but it would have made this a little long...