What is the significance of river Ganges in Varanasi?
Mary Oliver, a legendary poet on her visit to Varanasi, described the Ganges like this-
“Early in the morning, we crossed the ghat, where the fires were still smoldering, gazed, with our Western minds, into the Ganges.”
This is exactly how one can feel at Varanasi.
In this read, we bring to you the significance of river Ganges and what makes this city so sacred.
Many Hindu works of literature have personified river Ganges as a Goddess of purity. It is believed that one who takes a dip in the river, gets rid of all his sins. The city of Varanasi is situated along the banks of Ganges. There are 88 Ghats (fleet of steps leading down to the river) in Varanasi. Almost everyone takes a tour to Varanasi as an ovation to river Ganges.
River Ganges opens the door to heaven
In Hindu tradition, cremating dead in the city of Varanasi is considered holy. People believe, this act frees the dead from his past life and achieves salvation. That is why people from different parts of the country come to Varanasi with the ashes of the dead as his last homage to the river.
The origin of River Ganga
The river has been an important part of civilization since the Harappan times. According to Hindu mythology, Ganges was the river of heaven. King Bhagirath performed years of meditation to bring her down to earth to release his 60,000 uncles from a curse. So, the Ganges got the name for releasing people from sins.
The evening Ganga Aarti
Courtesy: sudhagee.com
The devotees pray to the Ganga river to keep freeing people from their worldly affairs and sorrows. Huge lamps, aroma of the incense sticks, traditional music, chorus song, and thousands of people accompany the evening Ganga Aarti at the ghats in Varanasi. The evening Ganga Aarti at Haridwar is also an amazing experience of life.
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