G is for Ganges !

A lot of people try to find peace in a temple, or in the hushed environs of a church. Some of us try to find peace in the few minutes we meditate in. I find my own peace in the glittering waters of the Ganges, as she flows down from the mountains, pure and pristine.

The first time I saw Ganges or Ganga Maa as we like to call her, I was a small child of 6. We were visiting Rishikesh and I had my first look of the river from my cottage window, where I could see her flowing gracefully between the emerald green hills.

The next morning my grandmother took me to the River bank. It must be a little before sunrise and the sky was still a dark inky blue.The first hint of the sunrise came when the sky slowly started turning a pale pink, the stars getting extinguished one by one as if someone was blowing out candles. 

Then the sun peaked out from behind the hills, as shiny as a newly minted coin, a hue of yellow with just a hint of red at the rim. Slowly it rose higher and higher, painting the sky first a rosy pink and then a bright orange. Rays of sunlight burst forth from behind the mountains as if someone had let go a quiver full of brilliant yellow arrows. The rippling waters of the river turned into a molten gold. Far away I could hear the priests blowing their conchs and starting the morning Prayers in the many temples that dot Rishikesh. I sat their mesmerized, the sound of the conchs as gentle and soothing as the breeze in my face.

My grandmother stood immersed in the river till her waist, murmuring prayers as she stood facing the rising sun. There was something in her countenance- peace, acceptance, reverence, humility – that to me still signifies what devotion is all about. 

I took this picture many years later, on another visit to Rishikesh. 

The Ganges originates at Gaumukh, Roaring and tumbling down from the locks of the mighty Shiva in a resplendent waterfall, as the legend goes.The trek to Gaumukh is treacherous; I have tried it once but failed miserably. 

The Ganges just outside Gangotri

From Gaumukh it comes down till Gangotri and then flows down to Uttarkashi and the plains of India. 

The Ganges near Uttarkashi ! 

The most famous pilgrim centers on the banks of the river are Rishikesh and Haridwar. The Ganga Aarti at both these places is a very spiritual experience. 

To know more about the Ganga Aarti in India, click Here. 

When I feel like spending some time on the banks of Maa Ganga, I try to go to Gangotri or Uttarkashi. These places are very high up in the mountains and are still untouched by humanity as compared to the better known Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Sitting at the banks of the river there is a humbling experience. The Himalayan ranges rearing up towards the sky, the snow peaks glittering in the sunlight as if on fire. The surroundings hushed and silent; the only sound that of the Ganga flowing down from the mountains, almost dancing over the rocks, unrestrained in all her glory and splendor. 

A sense of serenity and peace. An opportunity to calm my mind and recharge my soul. Time to sit still and connect with one self and with God. 

(I haven't really had time to copyright the pics, but all of them have been taken by me at one point of time or the other !)