Gold-diggers of the Ganga
By Manpreet Singh

AMIDST the bones of dead human beings, they search for bits of gold and silver in the sacred waters of the Ganga — to make a living or, with the "blessings of Ganga Mayiaa, a fortune. At Har Ki Pauri and in Hardwar, hundreds of gota khors (divers), popularly called Gangaji dhoondne wale log religiously search for various valuables in the Ganga. They work from early dawn till late after the sunset.

Gold, silver jewellery and coins come along with human ashes which are immersed by hundreds of pilgrims, coming from distant parts of the country. People believe that if the ashes of the dead are immersed in this holy river at Hardwar, Gateway to the Gods, the soul would be free from the cycle of rebirth and death.

During a cremation ceremony as per the Hindu rituals, panch tatav — five metals (gold, silver, brass, copper and bronze) — are kept with the body of the dead person. Some people also keep the person’s precious jewellery on the pyre which along with the ashes finds its way into the waters of the Ganga. It is this treasure which those divers hunt for.

"Besides gold and silver that flows into the Ganga with ashes, a lot of other precious jewellery and coins are offered to the river as gupt daan during big religious gatherings like Kumbh Mela. There are about 50 ‘Acharajs’ who search for valuables at Har Ki Pauri area. They are officially authorised to do this job as they have been engaged in this work for generations," says Navin Kumar, the administrative officer of the Sri Ganga Sabha, a registered body in charge of the pilgrimage centre.

The administrative secretary of the sabha, Shashi Kant, while narrating the story of a local who became a "billionaire" by searching the Ganga, says: "I have often seen divers finding gold chains and bangles".

Apart from the about 50 divers authorised by the Sri Ganga Sabha at Har Ki Pauri, there are about a thousand other divers who search the rivers for a few hours a day to eke a livelihood. Mohan Lal, 45, who has been selling empty plastic bottles and cans at Har Ki Pauri for the past 20 years, says: "Ganga is a river of gold, money flows on its currents. The divers make money, live better than you or me, and fulfil all their domestic duties like marrying off their children in a decent way, by the means of this occupation only."

Certainly, this job is not as rosy or easy for most of the unorganised divers who come to the river everyday with the hope the this day would bring them their ‘dream treasure’ The job involves fortitude and risks.

Samar Shankar, an expert diver, who has been searching the river for the last 24 years, remarks: "In winter, water is too cold and one cannot search for more than 20 minutes at a stretch; the body becomes numb and is unable to feel a thing. And in summers, the water is too muddy, the only way to search is with one’s hands. It’s certainly a risky job; if one slips or if one doesn’t know swimming, as is the case with most divers, one is likely to get carried away by the fast currents; some have lost their lives too."

The ways adopted to fish out gold and other precious material by these diggers are indigenous and unique. Many expert diggers go neck deep into the water with a stick and a bamboo basket. The basket is suspended from the ropes tied around it into the water. With the help of one’s feet, the ashes mixed with mud on the steps are dug out expertly. Then in the flowing water, the diggers using their hands search through the basket, which is full of human bones, pebbles, sand and other materials, for precious metals and coins. The find is kept in their shirt pocket, and the process is repeated again and again.

Apart from the experienced old diggers, a large number of young boys, even school-going ones, can be seen searching for coins on the banks of the river. Kaaloo, a 15-year-old Muslim boy, who searches for coins in the mornings with a square piece of glass in his hands, says: "If you see through the glass in sunshine, the metal in water dazzles. I started coming here because one of my uncle comes here. So far, the most precious thing that I have found from the river has been a gold ring," he reveals.

For Kaaloo, it may just be an initiation into a chase for luck. But those with years of long wait for fortune behind them say experience has taught them to be less expectant. All the same, the divers continue with their search for they hope, as one of the divers puts it, that one day; some day Ganga Maiyaa will shower them with good luck.