Lord Shiva, is also known as Gangadhara, the "Bearer of the Ganga. There are a lot pictures of Lord Shiva with a spout of water from his matted locks which is the holy river Ganga. The most sacred of all the rivers in Bhaartavarsha. The descent of Ganga from the heavens is not a one time event as the legends tell, but it's a cycle that will continue till the end of the yuga where she falls from the heavens & is tamed by the locks of hair of Lord Shiva before letting her fall on prithvi.
Ganga Mata or Ganga Maiyya, is the embodiment of the river and she is the mother who accepts all and forgives all. There are no fearsome or destructive aspects to her as her countenance is one of benevolence and compassion as a mother. She is also considered as a mother to other gods. She is a serene body of water. Goddess Ganga is worshipped by all to wash away their sins, help them and their forefathers attain salvation & provide life & sustenance to her children. She is the lifeblood of our culture, tradition, rites, rituals and even afterlife.
Ganga Mata washes away the sins of a lifetime of everyone who bathes in her. The most unrepentful sinners can seek redemption and salvation by bathing in the Ganga. She is considered as a pathway to moksha and liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Her waters are pure & purify & cleanse one of the scores of sins accumulated over a lifetime.
Ganga Dashahara is the day when Goddess Ganga is believed to have descended on Prithvi . It is on shukla paksha dashami during the Hindu month of Jyestha. (10th day of the waxing moon in late May or early June). It is believed that if one bathes in the holy Ganga on this day, then the bather is rid of ten lifetimes of sins.
Like the great Sage Narada (Narada Muni), Goddess Ganga is a "Triloka Sanchari". She flows in the heavens as Aakash Ganga, descended to prithvi to grace us as Ganga & then flows into the ocean & onto the last realm, the netherworld as "Pataal Ganga". She is the pathway to heaven and salvation. She is the pivotal point for all beings, the living and the dead.
The maha aartis performed along her banks are a sight to behold & her presence permeates the very air that one breathes. Her worship does not require elaborate rituals or obeisances or avahana (invocation) or poorna huti (completion). A simple prayer renders her blessings on the seeker. Her manifestation as the river is awe inspiring for it's the longing of every individual's to take a dip in the Ganga. Her anugraha lasts a lifetime.
Listen to the Ganga Aarti & pray to Ganga Mata sung by Anuradha Paudwal
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