The Ganges River (Maa Ganga)

[TatTvamAsi]

Namaste,

Has anyone on this forum had personal experience of bathing in the Ganges River?

Has anyone personally been to Varanasi? If so, what was your experience like?

Has anyone attended the Kumbh Mela? I believe in 2007, it was the largest gathering of human beings in the history of world (90 MILLION people)!!!

I was reading a little bit about the Ganges and most of the articles, obviously written by non-Hindus/anti-Hindus, seem to concentrate on the pollutants in the river.

I then saw a video, by Swami Nithyananda, explaining that the Ganges River, although at first sight is highly polluted, has the cleanest water of any water source in the world! Apparently, a study was conducted by a Japanese scientist and when samples of water from the Ganges were studied, the pollutants in them were actually very low.

So what is it? Is the Ganges a 'highly polluted, filthy river with sewage, industrial waste, excrement, dead bodies of humans and animals, and other toxic materials' or really the embodiment of Maa Ganga that is pure and river of amrita?

Since I don't have any experience personally bathing in the Ganges, I would like to know what others think about this particular issue.

I am keen on hearing the opinions and facts, if any, regarding this matter.

Namaskar.

[Sudarshan]

All tIrtha-s( holy places) have a bhouwma ( worldly/brahmANDa) and a mAnasik ( mental/piNDANDa) aspect. Those who cannot access the mAnasik tIrtha should utilize the bhowma tIrtha.

Ganga, who came down from the heaven due to the penance of king bhaghIratha flows inside you - it is your sushumna nADi and is the immortal amRita. The river ganga you see through the eyes is a gross projection of the subtle ganga that flows inside you.

The river ganga is pure because it has the spirit of Goddess ganga. The river which has its origin in the himalayas traverses through a vast area where there are many powerful medicinal herbs. The water is clean due to the action of these herbs. Industrial wastes do pollute the river, but they cannot pollute the spiritual benefits conferred by the river!

Till you become a bhagIratha who can bring down the mAnasik ganga from the heaven, you have no choice but to bath in the bhowma ganga alone!

[Eastern Mind]

TTA: Here's a suggestion for further reading. Maybe it'll help. Maybe it won't. Go to Indiamike.com which is a travel forum site. (Incredibly useful for hotels, trains etc.) There are several threads on this. One is even called, "Safe to bathe at the ghats?" You will get a wide variety of opinions, 'facts' etc.

My wife and I actually plan to include Varanasi in our next pilgrimage to India. Personally, I know I would go look, and then decide whether or not to go in, based on gut (as usual for me). The general consensus, of course, is that it is cleaner, the farther upstream you go.

If you posted your first question there, you would get several replies within a few days, I would guess.

Aum Namasivaya

[satay]

namaste,

Namaste,

Has anyone on this forum had personal experience of bathing in the Ganges River?
Namaskar.

Many many times so far in this life time. Last in March 2009. It's a beautiful feeling. Water is cold but clean. You enjoy the bath more if you are with your family.

[Eastern Mind]

Wow.

Satay, where did you go? At which city, which ghat, etc.?

Aum Namasivaya

[satay]

namaskar,

The bath in Ganga has always been in haridwar at the 'har ki pauri'. I attach here a couple of pictures of it.

Wow.

Satay, where did you go? At which city, which ghat, etc.?

Aum Namasivaya

[devotee]

I have also bathed many times in Ganga, since my early childhood. I have been to Varanasi too.

There are some ghats where it does appear dirty because of careless attitude of people. I have not tested in recent times, but I have seen stored Ganga-water remaining without any fungal or bacterial growth for years.

OM