Ganga Jayanti
Ganga Jayanti (14 May 2024)
Shri Ganga ji was born on Vaishakh Shukla Saptami Tithi. Therefore, every year on Vaishakh Shukla Saptami Tithi, Ganga Jayanti festival is celebrated with great pomp all over India.
In the year 2024, the festival of Sri Ganga Jayanti will be celebrated on 14th May as per Udaya Tithi. On this day, Sri Ganga-worship and Bhagiratha Dev-Rishi will be worshiped. Coincidentally, Vrishabha i.e. Jyeshtha Sankranti will also be celebrated on this day, hence the importance of this day will increase manifold.
According to the scriptures, if Saptami Tithi is Vyapat or Ayapat in the afternoon of both the days, then this festival should be celebrated on the first day.
Common people would get confused about the origin of Mother Ganga that the incarnation of Mother Ganga took place on Ganga Jayanti (Vaishakh Shukla Saptami) or on the day of ‘Ganga Dussehra’ (Jyestha Shukla Dashami), in reality both these days. They have their own different importance.
According to the scriptures, on the Saptami Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Vaishakh month (14 May in the year 2024), Mother Ganga had reached the heaven in the hair of Lord Shiv Shankar, hence this day is celebrated as Ganga Jayanti and Ganga Saptami.
On the other hand, after its origin, the day when Mother Ganga descended on the earth from the locks of Lord Shiva, that day is known as ‘Ganga Dussehra’ – Jyeshtha Shukla Dashami (16 June in the year 2024).
So, in simple words, the day Mother Ganga came out of heaven and reached Lord Shiva’s matted hair, that day is celebrated as Ganga Jayanti, and the day Mother Ganga came out of Lord Shiva’s matted hair and descended on earth, that day is celebrated as Ganga Dussehra. Is celebrated as.
Mother Ganga is worshiped on both these days. Worshiping and bathing in Ganga on the day of Ganga Jayanti brings success, fame and respect and all sins are eradicated. On this day, by worshiping Ganga and taking bath in Ganga, doing ancestral rituals, offering to ancestors etc., one gets freedom from Pitru Dosh, ancestors get salvation by attaining salvation, the people suffering from water defect and Manglik Dosh can also be freed from doing Ganga worship on this day. Special benefits are obtained, that is, worshiping Ganga as per the rituals on this day is extremely fruitful.
Measures and work to be done on the occasion of Ganga Jayanti:-
1. On the day of Ganga Jayanti, one should take bath in Ganga in Haridwar or any other place where Mother Ganga is present.
2. On the day of Ganga Jayanti, Aarti of Ganga ji should be performed in the morning and night, and it is very auspicious to light a lamp in water and make it flow i.e. donating a lamp.
3. It is believed that on this day, people who take bath and meditate on God in silence and secretly donate money as well as things made of gold etc. in the water, do not face any kind of shortage in the next many births.
4. Reciting “Shri Gangasahasranama Stotra” on this day is extremely beneficial.
Many stories of the descent of Mother Ganga:-
The importance of Ganga is described in religious texts. Many mythological stories are prevalent about the incarnation of Mother Ganga.
First story- According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Ganga descended on earth on the day of Ganga Dussehra. The flow of Goddess Ganga was so fast and powerful that due to it the balance of the entire earth could go out of control. Therefore, to control the speed of Goddess Ganga, Lord Shiva took Goddess Ganga in his locks. After some time, Lord Shiva freed Goddess Ganga from her locks so that she could fulfill her purpose of purifying the cursed souls of Bhagiratha’s ancestors.
While on his way towards the kingdom of Bhagiratha, the hermitage of sage Jahnu was destroyed by the powerful flow and fierce velocity of Goddess Ganga. So sage Jahnu became angry and drank all the water of Ganga. After this incident, all the gods including Bhagiratha apologized to Sage Jahnu and requested him to free Goddess Ganga, so that Goddess Ganga could fulfill her purpose of public welfare. Pleased with the prayers of all the gods and Bhagiratha, Rishi Jahnu freed Ganga by letting it flow from his ear.
According to mythology, Sage Jahnu released Ganga from his ear on the Saptami Tithi of Vaishakh Shukla Paksha. Hence, because of this story, this day is also known as Jahnu Saptami. Goddess Ganga is also known as Jahnvi, daughter of sage Jahnu.
Second story – According to one story, Ganga was born from the sweat drops of Lord Vishnu’s feet.
Third Story- According to another story, Ganga was born from the Kamandal of Brahmadev. After freeing the world from the demon sacrifice in the form of Vamana, Brahmadev washed the feet of Lord Vishnu and filled this water in his kamandalu.
Fourth story – According to another story, when Lord Shiva sang a song in front of Narad Muni, Brahmadev and Lord Vishnu, due to the influence of this music, Lord Vishnu started sweating, which Brahma ji filled in his Kamandal and the water of this Kamandal Ganga was born from.
Thus, many stories have been told in different texts about the birth of Ganga.