Ganga Dashami: An Ecological Tale

Happy Ganga Dashami, a celebration of India's greatest river, the Ganges. It celebrates the day when Mother Ganga (Ganges) descended from the heavens to Earth on the locks of Lord Shiva's hair. On the Hindu calendar this celebration is the 10th day of Sukla-paksa (waxing fortnight of the full moon), which is in June on the Western calendar this year. The Hindu calendar is lunar based, so it varies from year to year the day it is celebrated. This year it is celebrated on June 1st on the Western calendar. June 4th is the full moon (Purnima).

The Ganga is the greatest river in India. It starts in the Himalayas and its source is the Gangotri Glacier and ends at the Bay of Bengal. Forty million Indians live near the banks of the Ganga River. Many others make their living near her banks.

Many creatures live near her banks and in the river. Pollution of industries have affected species who live there, like the Ganga dolphins and hilsa, koi, pangash and bacha fish. The Ganga dolphins are considered to be an endangered species in the river.

Water is a symbol of life in Hinduism as well as a spiritual symbol. Where there is water there is life. Water purifies and allows humans, plants and animals to survive in this world. Water is also a sign of fertility for the creatures and plants in the river. Through water plants and creatures prosper and multiply. Water is also important in rituals of Hinduism as well as many other spiritual traditions. Hindus have pujas (rituals) which often use the water element for purification and as a spiritual element. Christianity has Baptism which also uses water as a purifying and spiritual element. Holy water is used in Hinduism and also in Catholicism as a sacred, purifying element.

Rituals are performed near rivers and waterfalls in Hinduism. Ghat priests conduct these ceremonies on the Ganga and other rivers. Use of organics in these rituals is the best approach. Following ecological protocols keeps the Ganga free of pollutants. The ghat priests are knowledgeable in these ecological protocols. It is best to buy organic fruits and flowers or bring some organic ones from your own garden. Some flower shops sell flowers treated with pesticides. Your farmer's market can be a good sources of pesticide-free flowers. Ask your merchant before you buy them, so you know that they are indeed organic.

The story of the descent of Mother Ganga is an ecological tale. When Ganga descended to the Earth, she descended on the locks of Lord Shiva's hair. H.C. Reiger, the well-known Himalayan ecologist, has this to say about the story: " In the scriptures a realization is there that if all the waters which descend upon the mountain were to beat down upon the naked earth, it would never bear the torrents...In Shiva's hair we have a very well-known physical device which breaks the force of the water coming down...vegetation of the mountains." This is why deforestation is a problem. We need to plant trees and other related species to help with global warming and flood mitigation.

The Gangotri Glacier is being threatened by the decline in snowfall and the increase of the melting snow. In 1935 to 1956 the glacier retreated 4.35 meters a year. The average retreat is 20 to 38 meters a year. If this rate continues the Ganga might very well become a seasonal river. This is why the decrease in global warming is a very important goal to the survival of India.

Dams also threaten the Ganga and the government needs to reduce the number already in existence to help decrease the threat of global warming and floods. Protests have stopped dams from being built in India.

Pollution of industries is a problem especially near New Delhi. Seventy percent of the pollution of the river occurs in the 22 km journey through New Delhi. Sewage is also a part of the problem. Sunderlal Bahuguna advocates the use of using human manure on crops instead of using treatment plants to deal with the problem.

What about pollution in India today? Some efforts have been made to clean up the Ganga by the government of India. The virus threat has cut down on pollution in the Ganga because industries are not running as they normally would be running under normal circumstances. Devotees are not conducting large ritual gatherings on the river. This cuts down on river pollution. The air pollution in New Delhi has dramatically deceased because people are not using cars and trucks as much during the virus crisis. This shows that India needs to invest in more mass transit and needs to promote more working at home projects in the future.

In Minneapolis we have the Mississippi River. It's our Ganga River. Minnehaha Falls is the site of many spiritual ceremonies of all kinds in every season. Christians, pagans, Hindus and Buddhists often perform ceremonies there. On Ganga Dashami some Hindus will be there honoring our own Ganga River. We are praying for peace and helping our neighbors right now in the after math of the violence in our city. We hope things will change for the better. Mother Earth and Mother Ganga are great healers. Happy Ganga Dashami! Om Shanti Shanti!

JAI SHRI MA! JAI SHRI GANGA! JAI SHRI SHANTI!

Radhapriestess