Ganga Jayanti-The Day River Ganges was Born

‘Ganga Janmotsav/Jayanti’ is a major festival for Hindus. This sacred day is the birth day of holy river mother Ganga. Ganga Janmotsav falls on ‘Vaishakh Shukla Saptami'( 7th Day of bright fortnight of Vaishakh month of Hindu Lunar calendar) .

This year Jayanti will be celebrated tomorrow on May 11th in the year 2019.

On attains great merits and by bathing in Ganga river on this auspicious occasion of Ganga Janmotsav, Ganga Janmotsav is celebrated with reverence and enthusiasm all over India.

Vishakh Shukl Saptami is mentioned as river Ganga in various scriptures. The story of her birth is mentioned in Skanda purana, Valmiki Ramayana etc.

Holy River Ganga is depicted as Goddess by various paths & sects of Hinduism. Sahivities, Vaishnavities, Shakts etc all corroborate the greatness of mother Ganga. Many sacred shrines and pilgrimages are situated on the banks of river Ganga. Ganga river is considered as the most sacred river of India. It is believed that bathing in the Ganges destroys all the sins of a human being.

Ganga is also called Tripathaga. Here Tri=Three, Path= Paths, Ga= Goes. This Ganges flows in three paths at the same time. These three paths are the one on Earth that we see, Other is in Swarga(Heaven) and third one is in Patala(Nether world )

The greatness of Holy river Ganga is so immense that people wish to breathe their last and thereafter have their funerals as well on the banks of Ganges only. Also post cremation their ashes are immersed in the river Ganga as it grants them salvation. People worship on Ganga ghats and meditate. Snaysis do their penance by Ganges.

Ganges water is extremely sacred and it is deemed necessary in all the holy rituals. The scriptures even to to the length to call Ganges water ( popularly known as GangaJal ) equivalent to nectar . Many festivals and customs are directly related to the Ganges. Activities like bathing, donating and even sight of Ganges is deemed supremely meritorious during the festivals of Makar Sankranti (Transition of Sun into Capricorn constellation), Kumbha (Biggest holy gathering on Earth) and Ganga Dashara and Eclipses.

Several famous fairs are organized on the banks of Ganges. The pilgrimages establishes by the Ganges bring cultural unity in whole India. There are many devotional texts written for Ganges, in which Shri Ganga Sahasranam stotram and Ganga Aarti are very popular.

The Ganges river is the pivotal to the faith of the Hindus. There are many, many mythological stories associated with Ganges. There are many folklores too about Ganga. These folklores and the
significance mentioned in religious texts together define the whole new meaning of mother Ganga. According to one such story, Ganga originated from the feet of Lord Vishnu. Another such story tells us that Ganga stayed for a while in the ‘Kamandalu’ of Lord Brahma.

One legend says when Lord Vishnu took the form of Vamana and increased his size to the heaven,Lord Brahma washed the feet of Lord Vamana and preserved this water in his Kamandalu.

is a belief that after releasing the world from the demons sacrifice in Vaman form, Brahmadev washed the feet of Lord Vishnu and filled this water in his kamandal and in

According to another story, onceLord Shiva sang before Narada Muni, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, the effect of song produced the sweat from Lord Vishnu . Song had divine effect. Due to the influence of this music, the sweat started flowing out from Lord Vishnu’s body. Lord Brahma filled it in his Kamandal and river Ganges was born with the water of this Kamandal.

According to the scriptures, Ganga reached Lord Shiva’s matted hair on Ganga Jayanti only. Hence it is also called Ganga Saptami.i.

On the day Ganga ji was born, that day is called ‘Ganga jayanti’. It falls on Vaishakh Shukla Saptami as mentioned above. And the day on which mother Ganga appeared on earth, that day is known as ‘Ganga Dashahara’ , this falls on Jyeshth Shukla Dashami( 10th day of bright fortnight of Jyeshtha month of Hindu lunar calendar.

Mother Ganga is worshipped on both Ganga Jayanti and Ganga Dashahara. On the day of Ganga Jayanti, Mother Ganga is worship and bathing in this day brings wealth, success, glory, honour and all the sins are destroyed of the devotee. Worshiping river Ganges on this day relives the person suffering from Mangalik Dosha ( Ill effect of planet Mars). The worship of Ganga by proper procedure surely gives the results.

According to Puranas, Ganga came out of the toes of Lord Vishnu. It was brought on earth Bhagriath to felicitate the salvation bones of 60,000 sons of Raja Sagar, who were burned to ashed by the curse of Kapil Muni. Bhigrath was the descendant King Sagar. Bhagirath pleased mother Ganga with great penance and brought her to the earth. King Sagar’s 60000 sons were able to achieve salvation because of touch of waters of river Ganga. Since Ganges came to earth due the the great penance of Bhagirath it is also called Bhagirathi.