15 lakh take holy dip on Ganga Dussehra

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, May 28

More than 15 lakh persons today took a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra. It is believed that on this day the holy river Ganga descended on the earth.

People from across the nation started thronging the holy city from wee hours. A huge rush was witnessed at all Ganga ghats. Teerth purohits and Ganga Sabha members performed special rituals at Brahamkund, Har-ki-Pauri, on the occasion.

Haridwar SSP Sweety Aggarwal personally monitored the proceedings till the evening to ensure a peaceful conduct of the celebration.

The SSP inspected the CCR tower, Har-ki-Pauri, upper road, Ram Prasad lane, Malviya Deep, women’s ghat, Mansa Devi roapway and other important points.

SP (city) and Ganga Dussehra mela in charge Surjeet Singh Pawar, circle officers Chandra Mohan Singh, Rajesh Bhatt, Prakash Devli and all SHOs monitored the proceedings.

Meanwhile, traffic snarls were witnessed on NH-72 and NH -58. Commuters had a tough time as vehicles moved at a snail’s pace.

‘Festival has spiritual, religious benefits’

Brahamswarup Brahamchari, a spiritual ideologue of Jai Ram Ashram, today said Ganga Saptami had immense spiritual and religious benefits.

Legend has it that King Bhagirath left his kingdom and began to mediate for the salvation of the souls of his ancestors. It is said that Bhagirath observed a penance to Brahma for a thousand years, requesting Ganga to come down to the earth and wash over his ancestor’s ashes to release them from a curse and allow them to go to heaven.

He said on this day of Jyestha Saptami, the holy Ganga descended on the earth to provide salvation to human beings.

Brahamchari cited numerous Hindu scriptures, including Padma Purana and Narad Purana, where there is a mention of Ganga Saptami.

He, however, expressed concern over the present state of the Ganga, which is being polluted from its inception at Gangotri till Ganga Sagar.