Ganga Dussehra is an important festival celebrated on the 10th day of the Shukla Paksha of the Bengali month Jyeshtha, usually falling in the months of May or June of the Gregorian calendar. This day is highly auspicious for the Hindus as it destroys all types of sins. Ganga Dussehra is also known in various parts of India as Gangavataran. On this very day, ten sins are destroyed by having a holy dip in the Ganges, offering charity amid the destitute and the Brahmins, and carrying on tarpan.
According to legends, this is the day when Mother Ganga came down to earth to purify the cursed souls of the ancestors of Maharaj Sagar and destroy sins.
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In addition to its religious significance, Ganga Dussehra is noted as a bubbling cultural festival in different parts of India. People celebrate this day with great pomp and enthusiasm taking part in various cultural programs, fairs, and processions. The fair of Ganga Dussehra takes place in various places of India like Prayagraj, Allahabad, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Garhmukteshwar and Varanasi. Here, devotees enjoy bathing in the Ganges. In Varanasi, devotees participate in the Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat and take a holy dip in the holy river.
Ganga Dussehra 2023: Date, Tithi and Muhurat
People get ready to celebrate Ganga Dussehra on Tuesday, May 30 in the year 2023. The auspicious Dashami Tithi starts at 06:45 PM. Monday, May 29, and ends at 04:21 PM on Tuesday, on May 30, 2023.
This day falls under the Hasta Nakshatra, beginning at 09:38 PM on Monday, 29th May 2023, and ends at 08:29 PM on Tuesday, 30th May, 2023. Additionally, Vyatipata Yoga starts right at 05:03 AM on Monday, 29th May 2023, and ends at 02:47 AM on Tuesday, 30th May, 2023.
This particular day has immense significance for Hindus and all devotees alike. It is so as bathing in the Holy Ganges on this day destroys all kinds of sins and helps one to attain salvation. So, it is highly auspicious to mark one’s calendars and prepare to immerse oneself in the divinity of Ganga Dussehra.
Significance of the Ganga Dussehra
Dussehra, an important Hindu festival, holds high religious importance. This day signifies 10 Vedic calculations that demonstrate the purifying power of the mythological Ganga, which can wash away 10 types of sins related to actions, thoughts and speech. By offering prayers on this very day, one can attain utmost salvation and seek blessings from the divinity. Dussehra is also a favorable day for making important purchases, valuable items, new vehicles, or new properties.
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Reciting the Ganga Stotra standing in the bank of the Ganges on this day removes all types of sins. Taking a dip in the holy river on this day purifies the human soul and heals all types of physical ailments. Moreover, personalized Rudrabhishekam Puja is performed on the Dussehra day to gain health, wealth, and utmost prosperity. This ritual is associated with the worship of Lord Shiva and offering various sacred items to seek his blessings.
How to Celebrate the Ganga Dussehra 2023?
Ganga Dussehra, an auspicious festival people of Uttarakhand is celebrated with great devotion. According to Hindu Panchang, it falls on the day of Amavasya. Folks from different parts of the country celebrate it for 10 days with immense enthusiasm and grandeur. The festival is marked with a series of holy aartis taking place at the ghats of the Holy River, where devotees from different parts of the country assemble to take part in various ceremonies, including Pujas and Bath Rituals on the river banks.
Types of Celebration and Ceremonies:
The festival of the Ganga Dussehra 2023 is to be celebrated for 10 days. Hence, devotees from every corner India gather at various holy water spots located in different parts of the country to participate in the pompous ceremonies. During these 10 days, people go on performing various rituals, take bath in the holy water of the Ganges and offer prayers to the goddess Ganga.
Gathering of Devotees on the Banks
The sight of devotees thronging on various ghats of Varanasi and Haridwar during the holy Dussehra is a magnificent sight. People start taking holy dips in the Ganges in the early hours of dawn and morning, and the number of devotees present is overwhelmed with joy and devotion. A grand spell full of pure contentment and devotion is noticed and it can be never seen anywhere else.
All About Rituals and Donations
Ganga Dussehra 2023 is going to mark several rituals to make people feel happy, joyous and at peace. The most significant ritual is the chanting of the Ganga Chalisa, followed by Vedic Pujas in the temples of Lord Shiva. People on this very occasion visit Varanasi to witness the beauty of the very Ganga Aarti. On the other hand many devout devotees offer donations to the needy and destitute during this auspicious occasion.
Aartis and Processions the Hall Marks
A major highlight of the Dussehra celebration is the gorgeous aartis and processions noticed at various ghats of the Holy Ganges. The aartis, performed with profound devotion and reverence, create a special spiritual aura and bring a sense of peace among the participants. The processions, that comprise decorated idols of various deities, are carried on the streets with much enthusiastic devotion.
Rituals to follow During Ganga Dussehra 2023
Ganga Dussehra is a 10-day-spanned festival that primarily is indicated at the worship of the holy Ganges. Devotees consider this particular festival an auspicious time to take a holy dip in the holy water of the river to have a chance to redeem themselves of their wrongdoings.
To attain the most coveted moksha or salvation, one must go on performing 10 traditional rituals and customs on the banks of the Ganges in the morning to worship Goddess Ganga.
• One should offer 10 favorite items to Ma Ganga, such as flowers, Bhog, paper or leaf made boats filled with flames and milk, etc. to seek grace and blessings from the divine Moher.
• One should donate 10 edible items to the poor and needy on this very day.
• Fasting for at least 10 hours without consuming a single drop of water is a grand mark of devotion to the Holy Mother Ganges.
• The chanting of 10 specific stotras and mantras while performing Aartis with ringing of bells and blowing of conches on the river bank is the most significant part of this festival.
• Another essential part of this festival is to set up 10 bamboo or wooden sticks at the center of the holy river or a stream. The item symbolizes 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
• This act signifies the reverence and respect for the devotees hold within their souls for the river Ganges.
Worshipping of Holy Ganga on this Day
Dussehra is primarily a festival people celebrated to worship the Ganga and the Yamuna. Here we are going to refer some ways how people worship Yamuna on the auspicious Dussehra:
The Yamuna Puja on Ganga Dussehra
• Devotees take a bath in the holy waters of the river Yamuna on the auspicious moments of the Ganga Dussehra. The ritual removes one’s sins and invokes good fortune.
• The worship of Ganga Ma, people offer numerous items to Yamuna Ma. The offerings include flowers, various fruits, sweets, and burning diyas (lamps).
• Devotees go for aarti to deities and perform Yamuna aarti with devotion and utmost dedication. The aarti is accompanied by chanting of hymns and mantras.
• A grand procession comes out on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, where the idols of Yamuna and Ganga are placed on a decorated chariot or a palanquin. Devotees go on dancing, singing, and offering prayers during the procession. Right now the Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in India, and on the occasion of the Ganga Dussehra, people take vows for cleanliness drives to clean up the riverbanks and the river bed. This is to show respect and devotion to the sacred river.
Benefits of Reciting the Hymns of the Ganga Maia
Reciting the hymns of the Ganga on Dussehra is highly auspicious and brings lots of benefits to the devotees. The benefits of reciting the Ganga Mantra on Ganga Dussehra are such:
• Purification of the soul: The holy water of Ma Ganga has the power to purify the soul of a person. Reciting the mantras or hymns of the Ganga helps one in purifying one’s soul and eliminating all sins.
• Spiritual growth: Reciting the Ganga Mantra helps in spiritual growth and development. It helps the devotees to connect with the divinity and attain spiritual enlightenment at the same time.
• Removal of all obstacles: Reciting the Ganga Mantra on the day of the Ganga Dussehra helps remove obstacles from one’s life by all means. Moreover, it helps the devotee to overcome all kinds of challenges coming on one’s way and achieve success in all endeavors.
• Blessings of Ma Ganga: Reciting the Ganga Mantra on Ganga Dussehra is sure to invoke the blessings of Goddess Ganga. The Goddess blesses the devotee with health, wealth, and all round prosperity.
• Relief from all types of physical ailments: Reciting the Ganga Mantra on the day of the Ganga Dussehra can help to provide permanent relief from all kinds of both physical and psychological ailments. The holy water of the river Ganga has tremendous healing properties. Hence, reciting the particular mantra enhances its benefits from all sides.
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