River Ganga holds a lot of charm and fascination for most believers and I am no different. I managed to catch up with Her many a times throughout the Char Dham Yatra of mine... Turning a few pages to see where and in what form...
"Of
purifers I am the wind, of the wielders of weapons I am Rama, of fishes
I am the shark, and of flowing rivers I am the Ganga"
- Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita
3:14
"Food from the devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ganga water, the mind engaged in the Lotus Feet of Lord Vishnu and the day of Lord Hari, named Ekadasi, these are all pure and thus holy."
- Conversation between Markandeya and Bhagiratha, Skanda Purana
River Ganga glistens @ Her source in Gangotri
"India is great, the Himalaya are great, but the region in the Himalayas where Ganga is born is especially great because that is the place where She (River Ganga) exists in confluence with Narayana." - Skanda Purana
River Ganga @ Harsil
"Ganga
always extends her unto those that are devoted to her with humbleness
of heart. She unites those that are so devoted
to her with every kind
of happiness."
- Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva, Chapter 27, Verse 100
River Alaknanda @ Badrinath
"That
end which a creature is capable of attaining by penances, by
Brahmacharya, by sacrifices, or by practicing renunciation, one is sure
to attain by only living by the side of Bhagirathi and bathing in her
sacred waters." - Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva, Chapter 27, Verse 26
River Ganga @ Gangotri Highway
"Mountains of sins accumulated by a sinner in the course of his millions of transmigrations on earth disappear at a mere touch of the sacred Ganga water. Cleansed will he be also, who even breathes some of the air moistened by the holy waters." - Brahmavaivarta Purana
River Ganga @ One of the Panchprayags- Devprayag
"One who has studied the Bhagavad Gita just a little, drunk even a drop of Ganga water, has worshipped Murari (Krishna) just once, does not meet with Yama (the lord of death)." - Bhaja Govindam, Verse 20, Adi Shankaracharya
River Ganga @ A village enroute to Srinagar
"Thousands of man's sins get destroyed by the holy
sight of the Ganges, and he becomes pure by the touch of the water of
the Ganges, by consuming it, or just by pronouncing Ganga." - Garuda
Purana
"One
may, by putting forth one's best powers, count the stones that occur in
the mountains of Meru or measure the waters that occur in the ocean,
but one cannot count all the merits which belong to the waters of
Ganga."
- Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva, Chapter 27, Verse 97
"By
holding that sacred stream, touching it, and bathing in its waters, one
rescues one's ancestors to the seventh generation." - Mahabharata
"God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color."
― James McBride
A constant companion throughout my journey... It was difficult to part with Her and say goodbye at the end of my yatra...
65 Comments
U would be aware Ganga is one of the most polluted rivers in India :(
ReplyDeletebut up in the himalaya she seems be in the full glory and looks pristinely beautiful!
These pics look so mystical and alluring.River Ganga simmering with divine beauty...ur photos would make anyone free,to pack his bags and straight to these lovely places...
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for visit and reading my post,ur words meant a lot to me.
ओह!आरती,मुझे आपकी आरती उतारने का मन कर रहा है.
ReplyDeleteBecause,Ganga is floating in your pious heart.
Beautiful pictures with great sayings all are great and superb.
May God bless you.
Wow , lovely post . Thanks for the holy darshan of the Mother .
ReplyDeleteGanga as it cascades from Gaumukh all the way to Rishikesh is just mesmerizing! Lovely capture of the holy river..
ReplyDeleteLovely,lovely pictures of Ganga. Thanks for the share, Arti. The last picture and the quote of McBride are stunning!
ReplyDeleteLoving all your photographs but especially the one of the River Ganga which is second from last, truly beautiful, the reflection on the water is so tranquil.
ReplyDeletewow... lovely shots & nice info buddy... don't know whether i can visit River Ganga in future... but u already made me 2 have d feel of visiting her...
ReplyDeleteThanks 4 sharing...
What utterly gorgeous shots!
ReplyDeleteWow.. breath taking pics of Ganga.. what do you work on? Every week i see that you are travelling :) lucky you.. and lucky me who can see all these through your blog..
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous river it is! And your photos are superb, Arti! Thanks too for the information and such beautiful thoughts and words! Such a lovely way to begin my day! Many blessings to you! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSylvia
Wow beautiful photography Arti looks so good....and lovely write up as well....Arti U have a lovely weekend and Merry chirstmas and Happy New year to you and ur family:)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. I also liked the scriptural references to the Ganga river. Reminded me of my trip to Har ki Pauri:
ReplyDeletehttp://lalitpatnaik.blogspot.com/2010/07/life-giving-river.html
I love the pictures best where you have captured the sun sparkling on the water! Also the last two pictures, spectacular!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures of the light on the water.
ReplyDeleteGanga, is a place where i can learn how to give, give and give without hesitation, without expectation, and without discrimination.
ReplyDeleteGanga is our all mother, althought we make it dirty , ruin it with all the greed but she never going to stop giving her love.
Thank you for all the picture arti :)
We all love you Ma Ganga..
Arti, for some reason, I always had a bad image of river Ganga!! I never thought it could be so beautiful!! Damn those books who misguided me!! :)
ReplyDeleteBloggers Park
What a serene and beautiful post! Thanks a lot for sharing these pictures Arti...:)
ReplyDeletelovely photos and lovely quotes too!!! makes me want to go there again!
ReplyDeleteLoved the one at Rishikesh. the full moon adds to her charm. I am taking that pic too. Hope you don't mind :)
ReplyDeleteIt was soothing reading all those verses and scriptures... beautiful pics Arti :)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, I could almost get lost in them!
ReplyDeletePure magic Arti - words, pictures - it takes me away ... xx
ReplyDeleteThe pics of 'Holy River Ganga' should attract a lot of readers to your esteemed blog. I can definitely feel the holiness of Mother Ganga in these pics. Nicely captured and hats off to your wonderful post!!!
ReplyDeleteFrom: www.sriramnivas.com
lovely photographs...wish to visit the himalayas some day
ReplyDeleteashok
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteIn India, Ganga is next to god. I was fortunate enough to visit Haridwar in 2009.
The evening Aarti strengthens your faith in the holy Ganga. I wish Ganga should ever stay the way it is.
All your pics are mesmerizing. Maybe you should go for a DSLR. :)
Regards,
Sunil
The Ganges always induces a sense of respect in any Indian, that's her charm.Wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely pictures and I like all the rocks. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots as always. I learned that mountains connects to death and birth.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that this is correct but these photos remind me of it.
a beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteLove the sun sparkling on the waters, Arti. Thank you so much for sharing the lovely sayings as well. Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteHeavenly pictures of the river Ganga flowing through the Himalayas. Just gazing at these exceptionally beautiful pictures is energizing & elevating. Thanks for the eloquent tour.
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful post, Arti. I wish to visit the Himalayas some day.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week ahead :-)
Loved each and every pic. beautiful clicks.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the difference is between GANGA and GANGES? Are they 2 different rivers located in different areas of the country? Why are the names so similar? Love your photos, Arti! Keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post Arti. The pictures complement the wonderful quotes perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI think I can sort of understand how you (and so many others) can be spiritually connected to this great river.
We get excited when we see any of our country's great rivers (or even their smaller tributaries) -- we understand that they are truly the life force of the land!
My goodness...ganga is sooooooooo magnificient...thanks Arti for the valuable cliks..;)
ReplyDeleteTasty Appetite
Her colors in the 4th and 5th photos are truly beautiful. I feel cleansed and purified simply looking at them. I'm happy that you've shared these photos of the source, where the waters are most clean and frothy. thanks for sharing Arti. and happy day to you.
ReplyDeleteHi Aarti
ReplyDeleteI have never seen the ganga as I have only visited vrindavan in the north and seen the yamuna, you lovely quotes on the ganga with the mesmerizing pictures tugs my heart to visit the holy river. My husband was telling me he could plan a trip to delhi next year and also get to visit rishikesh and haridwar.
My MIL also wants me to visit all the holy places as in old age we will not be in good condition to enjoy this beauty.
Thanks for sharing these pictures and wonderful quotes of the ganga
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i love the shot with the moonlight but they are all beautiful.
ReplyDeletehope you are well
~laura xx
@zephyr The pleasure is all mine, thank you :)
ReplyDelete@zephyr @Pooch purple reign The second last pic is that of a setting sun in Rishikesh. My Sony Ericson mobile camera along with my photography skills is making it look like a moonlit one but it is actually not :)
@gigihawaii There is no difference. Both are just different ways to address one and the same river - River Ganga - flowing through various parts of the country. In the Hindu scriptures, the river is referred to as Ganga.. I am not too sure how and where exactly the word Ganges has come into usage but they both point to the same holy river.
@All Thank you very much for the appreciation and kind words :)
Awesome post as always .Arti i just forwarded a link of your blog to my dear friend Susan who is an episcopal priest from Little Rock USA.She is looking for a spiritual destination somewhere near Delhi and i suggested her to look into your blog for destination like Haridwar and Rishikesh.
ReplyDeleteOnce again a big congratulations for maintaing such a beautiful blog.
Arti,
ReplyDeleteI am happy to nominate you for a blogger award. Please visit the link to know more http://nishdil.blogspot.com/2011/12/award-for-me.html
Regds,
Nisha
beautiful shots
ReplyDeletewow! wonderful pictures... most of the pictures have the sunshine reflecting and it adds to the beauty of the river... the river is just wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Arti, you have been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award
ReplyDeleteCheck this out: http://www.smilewidabha.com/2011/12/versatile-blogger-award.html
River Ganga is such a massive, , mysterious, beautiful, and soothing river. I love to see foamy bubbles shimmering or sparkling in the sun. You had such a wonderful company, Arti, travelling through Himarayas , looking at her flowing and listening to her whispers. Have a happy and restful weekend.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Lovely...!
ReplyDelete"Holding,touching,bathing,pronouncing Ganga" or "merits which belong the water of Ganga" or" man's sin get destroyed by Ganga" and so on.
ReplyDeleteI can feel Ganga is a holy river and it exists people at hand.
Thank you sharing.
I wish you have a happy christmas.
I have seen Ganga many a times, as it passes it changes in physicality.
ReplyDeleteI have seen it nearest at Hrishikesh it looks divine there though I know further before from where most of your pics are the water there is crystal clear and Icy cold.
Thanks for some amazing Pics Arti : )
Lovely pictures, my friend. Any of Gaumukh?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteHi,Arti.
ReplyDeleteSo gorgeous photos of Ganga river.
I always feel a powerful life from your photos.The flow,splash and various shaped rocks are great creations in Himalayas!
I was off-line for a while.
Have a great week and Merry Christmas,Arti.
Tomoko.
One of my wishes is to visit the Ganga, but i've accepted that I will visit Her in the right place in the right time. So many Masters have been inspired by Her, it must be magical.
ReplyDeletehey i have a doubt - ive always heard that the ganga is allllways crowded/polluted bt ur pics - the place soo blissfully serene and not a single soul anywhere!!! how come?
ReplyDeleteOh you so made me smile with this post. You picked up so many nuances in the scenes that I also often see. The sparkles in the water. The framing of the valley. The suns rays casting their streams of light. But the river is where the beauty lies for one to search out it secrets. Wonderful post. By the way I prefer the pop-up post as my connection is a bit slower so when it is embed in the blog the whole page has to load again to post it. Thanks for making it easier for me.
ReplyDelete@Arti: Can I add the following information? The name Ganga is the original name as per Hindu Scriptures. During British Rule in India which lasted for few hundred years the name was changed to Ganges for ease of pronunciation. Likewise Mumbai became Bombay, Dilli became Delhi,Kolkata became Calcutta & so on. Like wise the name India was coined by the British to mean the land through which the river Indus flowed.
ReplyDelete@verbivorehere Hehe, It's the magic of the Himalayas and a bit depends on your perception too :)
ReplyDelete@R.Ramakrishnan Thank you very much for coming back and taking the time out to add value to my reply above. I never knew of these amazing facts, thank you once again for enriching my knowledge :)
Arti, each of your post captures the true visual beauty and amazing write up!
ReplyDeleteAmazing pics, love all of them :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures and beautiful words. Glad I dropped by from BPOTW.
ReplyDeleteMother Ganges...माँ गंगे से साक्षात्कार कराने का धन्यवाद, आप धन्य हो माई!
ReplyDeleteI always feel I m with my mother when I sit at the banks of gangaji. I feel so relaxed and at home that my heart wants to keep sitting there .Such deep sense of rest,peace and love I don't feel anywhere.and gangaji talks to me and I talk to her. May maa ganga bless all of us with coolness and energy and purity
ReplyDeletemay maa ganga bless all of us with her coolness her patience her purity and her energy.she is mother of all of us and bestows her blessings continuously.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! Happy that Ganga is getting ready to be purified... :)
ReplyDeleteTC! Keep smiling :)
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