Pining for Ganga Jal

[ShivaFan]

Today I think of Ganga Devi. She is very Dear to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. Her Vahana is the crocodile. She is in the hair of Lord Shiva. However today, She is like thinking of a beloved friend or Mother who is far away - for She is in Mother India, that is where I remember Her Jal, Her gleam and Her water when even a few drops on one's forehead that comes alive with blessing when the smallest breeze blows.

But today, this Devi Jal is far, it is not possible to go to India anytime soon. And it seems it will be too long to even have a few drops of this Ganga Jal to put on my forehead and to wear like tilak and again feel the breeze blow on this Jal and She comes alive.

What can I do?

I see that because She is famous, there are merchants who sell Her in little bottles. In the world of today, by technology She is for sale on eBay, or in a shop in America where Hindu religious items are sold.

But is this possible, proper, or even actually Ganga Jal at all and only the fakery of others to make a profit?

Where can I find Ganga Jal? Where? Can She be found even today?

[charitra]

Years ago I used to see, in my grand parents home, a golf ball size brass container completely sealed (welded) with Ganga water in it. One has to drill it to get the water out, no capping access was made available to get the water. Yes, Ganga water can be bought from Varanasi shops just as Tirupati Laddu (sweet prasadam) is bought from Tirupati even today. It is no wonder that itmakes appearance on e bay today.
Tirupati laddu, i can vouch, is authentic because it is sold right inside the mandir premises by the mandir's own counter. No one else can sell it as Prasadam. I have no idea about authenticity of the ganga jal.Namaste

[Shuddhasattva]

Namaste

Perhaps it would change the topic in a way unwanted by the OP, but I feel something that needs to be pointed out is:

If we fail to keep the Ganga clean, how do we expect it to keep us clean?

It is astonishing to me, absolutely astonishing, that in the name of industrial progress, pollution of Ma Ganga has been allowed...

Can badly polluted ganga water still be called authentic?